Fire and Ice
by Tiarocks55555
Summary: The flock find a new member and Iggy gets his sight back. but has he gained something more....
1. Discovery

We had been flying for hours- flying as in wings (I know, gasp- shock- horror etc) not plane flying, if you could call that flying! My head was doing me in, it was all a swirl of flock, escape, flyboys, flock, tired, Fang……wait, scratch that last. I cant believe I said that!!\

_Your just growing up, Max._

'Shut up voice, go invade someone else's privacy! 'I snarled mentally. That's the voice in my head by the way, you don't have one? I don't recommend it.

_You can't keep ignoring your feelings, you guys love each other_

'Been reading love horoscopes again?' I snapped. Always in my head, blah blah blah! That was it! I couldn't take it anymore. "Going down!" I yelled above the wind of my flight to my flock. They followed my descent to a line of trees in what we THOUGHT was a park. Big oops! Not a park. A back garden.

"Max…" Fang began. "I know. Lets just check it out." I replied, reading in his face where this was going. As in, slight narrowing of eyes.

The house was quiet, a T.V was quietly playing. _Max, come check this out. _Little Angel's voice resounded in my head_. _Angel was standing entranced a little way over. My eyes met Fang's and we both thought at the same time, be cautious. Angel was standing in front of a window, thrown wide open with light pouring out. Iggy, Gasman, Nudge all made their way over. Iggy was there first even though he was blind. We took in what Angel had found, except of course Iggy who waited patiently for someone to tell him.

It was a bathroom and a girl was occupying it. And before you think it, no we are not perverts, she was fully clothed thank you very much. She looked about 13-14 and was slim and tall. But that was not what made us stare. She had _wings. _Nudge was for once speechless. I looked closer. "Ange…..can you tell if she is exactly like us from her thoughts?" yes, Angel could read minds.

"No, she is not thinking bout how she got them, she is lonely because she is not accepted and is all by herself. She wants someone like her." Angels face was the picture of misery as she was caught up in the tenor of the mysterious girls thoughts, looking much older than 6.

Nudge regained her ability to speak at that moment. "Well if she's like us we should say hello, I mean, if she is by herself she would want to talk to us right? And she could, you know, feed us. I'm hungry. She could become part of the flock! That would be a great idea, aye Max.? and then we-" "NUDGE!!!" we all whispered at her at the same time. Nudge blushed and looked down, biting her lip to stop her smile.

What was I going to do!!! She could join the flock I guess. But what if she was with the school. Angel couldn't tell, if I wanted to know I would have to ask. I deliberated. I didn't want to think this but, what if she was another red-haired wonder? Stop it Max!

_Go with the flow, Max. Go with your gut feeling_

'have you ever considered just telling me up front what to do?'

_You're the leader, you are Maximum Ride._

I cleared my throat loudly and the flock almost jumped out of their skins. She whirled around to face us, looking scared.

"Max!! what are you doing?!" Fang hissed at me. I ignored him and spread my wings out slowly to their full extent. pretty impressive if you want my opinion. Her eyes widened and she looked at us with awe till her eyes rolled back and she collapsed in a dead faint.

Un-surprised, Angel scooted in and pulled the girl into a sitting position. Her head slumped onto her chest. I followed cautiously and scanned the room for all escape routes. The girl was very pale, she had light brown hair with blond streaks of different shades, it waved gently to between her shoulders. Her wings had half unfurled, they were only half out but were 10ft!! Red and gold they gleamed faintly. Her eyes fluttered then opened slowly. Her strange eyes!!! They changed from red to gold to fiery orange so fast it made my stomach clench un-comfortably.

"who are you?" she asked, her strange eyes never wavering from my own.

Huh, like she was gonna be the one asking questions first. " No, life story now!" I countered, putting on my no-buts-no-evasions-just-answer face

" well, I'm all for humble beginnings and all but your gonna have to be more specific than that" she snapped back, wow, she's like me when it comes to the whole, interrogations situation.

"uh…what's up with your eyes?" Gazzy volunteered, averting his eyes. She looked sheepish for a moment and glanced at me quickly. "they change colour with my mood I guess." she half smiled "mostly they are red or gold. Um, do all of you have wings?" she stared at the floor as she said this. _Max, you can tell her, she is trying not to cry but she wants to be with us, she wants a family. _Angel's little voice spoke in my head.

"yes we do. I'm Max, that's Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Angel and Gasman." her eyes widened and she suddenly looked anxious.

" are you one of……….Them?"

"uh…Them being??" I was confused. She could mean Erasers, White Coats, evil mad scientists?? Any would work for her expression. "I don't know who they are exactly but, they are from an awful lab and they have needles and these poor children.." apparently that was the final straw and she promptly burst into tears. Jeez, must be the School. Being the closest, Iggy followed the sound of crying and put an arm round her. She shamelessly sobbed on his shoulder and Iggy shushed her while sending a panicked look sightlessly in the general direction of where we were. I beckoned Fang over and we walked to the other side of the bathroom.

"Well?" He looked at me questioningly which actually equaled slightly raised eyebrows. "do _you_ believe her?" I asked bluntly, cutting to the point in the way I only could, goes with my great understatement talent.

"I do, but…." was his reply, the usual Fang, 3-4 words at a time.

"Uh, guys!" Iggy sounded slightly panicked as he quietly got our attention. Great timing on his part. "wait Ig". " Guys!! Now is good!!" Iggy called again, sounding confused, happy and panicked. Wait , Happy?? strange bird kids

"What!" I screeched, getting really annoyed. I could feel a head ache coming on. Iggy was looking not quite so sightlessly at me, focusing on me with his blue eyes.

" uh, do you want the good news or the bad first??" he asked expectantly. I'm. going. to. strangle. him. " how about good, because I have to add to the bad." Fang interjected quietly. "well A. I can see B. Flyboys coming right now C. I don't care what you think but she's coming with us. By the way, she can't fly.


	2. Escape Again

Crap!! Flyboys again!!! They really need to get a hobby. Apart from chasing us that is. the whole Iggy seeing thing, way over my head at the moment but I'm sure it will catch up with me, always does. " Flock U and A NOW!" we turned back to the window and I groaned internally. Flyboys were blackening the horizon like a storm cloud. 'Angel Sweetie, what's her name??' I mentally asked, knowing that if the girl had wings, she would have great hearing too. I shuddered to think what powers she might have. At least she didn't have red hair 'Her name is Gemma, but her friends call her Blaze.' Blaze, huh. Well if she helps us escape she is friend enough for that.

"Er, Blaze is it? Just wondering, if you can't fly, can you fight??" I mean, she has to be able to do something if she can't fly, it's only logical.

'_Logic does not always apply Max.'_

Oh, go away! Aware of the rest of the flocks eyes, I looked directly at her. She seemed scared and hesitant but that really wasn't helping the situation much. I raised my eyebrows and she took a breath before getting up off the bathroom floor. She was taller than I thought.

"If you have matches or a lighter, I can fight. If not, then no. but I can show you the quickest way out of here." she whispered mysteriously, reaching for the door. Glancing back through the open window, at the approaching flyboys, I gave up we needed help and she could give it. But what the heck was up with lighter or matches. Bit weird.

I sighed," Fang, give her the matches. Iggy, give her the basics of flying, just incase. Rest of you, lets go." we filed out the bathroom behind her and tensed, waiting for an ambush. None came and she led us to her room where she grabbed some sneakers. Me and Fang were having a silent argument, he thought it was too dangerous for her too come. Honestly I did too, but it was to dangerous for her not to.

"Over here" her voice cut our argument short and she beckoned us toward a sliding door leading to the second story balcony. We rushed out and I leapt into the air first, catapulting my self up with one powerful sweep of my wings. Angel, Gazzy and Nudge followed, all watching the ever closer Flyboys. They were almost upon us. Fang and Iggy grabbed a hand each and launched themselves plus Blaze into the air. The synchronized flapping of their wings was labored.

"Fang, take her up high enough that we can see if she can take her own weight while being up far enough to be caught if she can't." he nodded and him and Iggy flapped harder. Rising above us. Blaze shot me a terrified glance

"What!!!!!!!!!! Are you out of your mind!! I'm not going to learn to fly, way up in the air- with those ugly flyboy things so close no wa---" she was cut off by Fang and Iggy dropping her. I suppressed a chuckle as her wings snapped open automatically and captured the air effortlessly in their 15...18.…20 ft wing span! Her wings were huge!

"Push down with your wings, let you r shoulder blades spread to allow more movement. " I called out to her, sincerely hoping she could not hear the laughter in my voice. She did as I headed and shakily rose back to our height. Quivering with rage or fear or maybe both. Her eyes were vivid red. Oops. Her wings seemed to crackle with energy.

"seems you've made friends Max. always good but you seem to always hurt your friends. not the wisest idea girlie" Ari's sneering voice sound and everyone whirled round to face him as he addressed both me and Blaze. "I thought you didn't have wings girlie" he added

"I thought you had a brain, Mutt" Blaze snapped back, venom clearly in her voice. She looked truly frightening and momentarily forgot to flap. as they stared at each other I looked around to find the Flyboys in the air around us, crap, totally forgot about them.

"so sorry to interrupt this little reunion, but we have to go. Blaze, you might need to show us that fighting of yours now, might be handy." Ari's glare turned to a muzzle as he morphed into a grotesque half man half wolf. " leaving so soon??" he growled.

"my apologies." I snarled and punched him in the face. And spinning around, shooting straight up. The rest of the flock following my lead while Blaze just struggled up. "Hey, Angel. You know what I said about not using your mind powers. What would you say if I told you too?" I hollered to Angel. She smiled at me……well angelically.

Turning to Blaze, Angel looked her full in the face. Blaze took on a slightly vacant expression and started flying a whole lot better. Angel really scared me sometimes.

"uh, Max. we have company." Iggy's stressed voice gto my attention at once and I turned, unsurprised to see we were being pursued by more flyboys. _Max, Blaze can take care of all of them without her or any of us actually fighting them. Do you want me to let her?? _Angel interrupted my silent plan making.

"Sure Sweetie" Ange nodded and stopped concentrating on Blaze. Blaze lost a little altitude and stared at Angel incredulously. "Hey, Blaze, now would be nice if you wanna use those matches." She got my drift instantly and closed her eyes briefly. When she opened them, they blazed and the air got distinctly warmer. Spinning slowly, she lit a match and slowly the flame licked up the little wooden stick. Then it was gone. She held the flame in her hand, rather it hovered above her palm.

She threw it at the pursuing flyboys but whipped her hand around in an ark, the ever growing flames followed the movement and swept up, meeting the flyboys in mid air. They burned brightly as they dropped like lead weights until only blackened charcoal pieces remained. Bringing her hand up, the remaining flames surged up to meet her and disappeared as she closed her fist. It was only then I noticed that her nails were half red half gold, resembling the flames the hand just captured. She slowly turned to face us, her wings seeming to gleam brighter than ever. She seemed ashamed to meet our eyes.

"That was awesome!! " Iggy crowed, awe on his face. " if we added that to a bomb Gazz, imagine the actual explosion!!" I grimaced as him and Gazzy exchanged mischievous grins before turning back to Blaze.

"I see why your nick named blaze" I stated dryly. She smiled tentatively and nodded. I shot Fang a dark glance and carried on our flight. Aiming back for the white strip of sand in the distance, signifying a beach, even more exhausted than before we landed.

My mind wandered as we flew, my drowsiness taking over so the steady rhythmic beatings of my wings filled my head and became a automatic act. Fang flew below me, occasionally looking up at me with slight concern. Angel and Nudge were more gliding than flying and seemed half asleep anyway Iggy was talking to Blaze, it was unnerving the way they had instantly become friends. Gasman was on my right, occasionally looking furtively in Iggy's direction and sighing.

I looked back down to Fang, watching the way his wings pushed down powerfully, propelling him forward. His hair was growing longer and was swept back in the wind, blowing about slightly.

'_love is in the air dum dum dum, dum dum dum love is in the air"_

Gee voice, I didn't know you could sing. Pretty corny song though.

_When will you admit you love him??_

When will you leave me alone? I countered. Stupid voice, could go to hell for all I cared

_Well that's not very nice, I'm only here to help. Seems to me that you are a bit tense_

I rolled my eyes, wondering again if the voice could sense that. "well voice, I have two things to say to you. Go. Away

_Suit yourself. Iggy seems to be embracing his feelings better than you_

I swirled around and gasped as I saw the voice was right. Iggy and Blaze were getting along very well indeed. I smiled internally, glad that Iggy had found someone. Still, I wondered about his sight. He was always touchy about it but now it seemed he had it back. I finished my musings as I gladly drifted down toward the beach.

I stumbled as my feet hit the sand and we all collapsed where we landed. Getting up slowly, I scanned the surrounding area and coaxed everyone to their feet. Struggling toward a sand dune, we camped out there. I started a fire as Angel and Nudge curled up together, falling asleep as soon as their heads touched the ground. Fang took first watch and Iggy lay down with his head near the girls, his feet behind Gazzy. Blaze lay down right next to the fire and was asleep in seconds, as she fell asleep, the fire dimmed a little. I settled down, completing the circle.

I woke up slightly later on. My mind was awake but my body hadn't quite caught up with it yet, I had no control what so ever. Vaguely I was aware of someone sitting close by me. Fang. I opened my eyes a slit and peered out while still feigning sleep. He was leaning against the side of the dune, softly stroking my hair.

"Max, if only you knew how much I love you" he whispered, almost startling me into complete awareness, almost. He obviously thought I was still asleep. He sighed and got up slowly, shaking Iggy awake, he switched guard. He surprised me even more when he came back to where I lay, putting one arm round my waist and using his other as a pillow he lay down beside me and drifted off to sleep. I was hyper aware now. Where he touched me my skin tingled and my stomach flipped excitedly. This was a stupid reaction. What was I thinking. I turned slightly and his arm tightened unconsciously. When he was asleep he let all his barriers down, his face was so peaceful. I wonder if he did this a lot. Still thinking I fell back asleep. Warm and as confused as always.


	3. Interrogations

**In the morning, Fang was on the other side of the fire. Sneaky bird kid. Today I WAS going to get my answers. Otherwise Blaze could just stay here and wait for the Flyboys to find her. I don't care. If she's a threat to the flock, she can't stay. Kicking every one awake, gently of course, I remade the fire and checked everyone for injuries. All the while watching Blaze in my peripheral vision. She was like the opposite of Nudge. She didn't speak at all basically but at the house she had seemed sarcastic enough. Unlike Fang, she had a wide range of expressions, I really wondered what was going on inside that head of hers. Not that Angel was going to know that.**

"**Max, we need to talk to her." Fang appeared right behind me, making me automatically tense into a fighting stance. I think he enjoyed scaring me like that. Even if he can turn invisible, doesn't mean he should use it other than when it matters. I narrowed my eyes in annoyance. " you know I hate it when you do that. And yes I'm going to talk to her now" I replied coolly, showing none of my irritation in my voice.**

**Turning to the campsite again, I located Blaze quickly. She was sitting in silence, leaning against the dune wall, examining the tread of one of her shoes. As Fang assembled the rest of the flock, I picked my way through the various backpacks and went to sit in front of her. As I sat, her eyes flashed up and pierced my own with a suspicious gaze. Iggy and Gazzy sat together on one side of me, probably concealing a new explosive of some sort, fire triggered no doubt. Angel and Nudge sat on the other while Fang stood silently behind me, also suspicious. Could we really have a seven strong flock? **

"**so Blaze, we want to know your story. Everything, the School, how you know Ari and about you. We can't accept it any other way. If you don't, you can go back home." I hated to put it so bluntly but, hello, how else am I going to get the message across. I needed answers and I was going to get them.**

"**well, er, I was taken from my Mum when I was born. They told her I had died. I was at the School until I was 6. They couldn't understand, I'm 4% bird, but then, I had no wings. I had them in x-rays but they just couldn't see them. They were surprised when I appeared to be completely normal. One of the scientists took me outside for the Erasers to practice on. I was running as fast as I could.." she stumbled here, her eyes gazing past us as she relived her past at the School. "I just couldn't run fast enough. I just got so frustrated and scared, that's when my eyes turned this colour. It felt as though my hands were burning and when I moved them, fire streaked along behind them. I used the fire to get out and kept on running. The Erasers chasing me met the same fate as the Flyboys last night. When I stopped in the middle of a forest, my wings had burnt through the back of my shirt and were literally flaming. It didn't hurt though, when I calmed down the flames went. I have lived by myself in that house since then." she stopped and gazed back up at us. Some barrier that had been up before was gone. I could only imagine what they would have done, trying to force wings out of her back. I felt sorry for her. Who wouldn't but that wouldn't make me less suspicious.**

"**Did you by any chance have anything to do with Iggy regaining his sight? I mean, he got it back when you were with him, that's no coincidence." I queried. Unsure if she did actually have anything to say about that. Glancing over, I saw that Nudge was about to say something. I caught her eye and shook my head, we got her talking, I didn't want to stop her now.**

"**so that's what was wrong with him? Um, I hope you don't mind. When I…….broke down, I let everything go, one of my powers are healing. Since he was touching me and I was leaning on him…I guess my power did it automatically." she seemed sincere enough but I still wasn't sure.**

"**why haven't we seen your wings alight then? Even when you fought the Flyboys?" I was sure I had paid attention and I did not see a single flame on her wings. The healing thing would be so handy its not funny. Fang getting shredded by Ari - no problem. That power would sure keep a whole lot of worry out of my head.**

" **because I haven't been put in a situation like that again. I think I have to be so stressed and everything for the fire to come that it would only be if I was desperate. I knew Ari because he was one of the kids with me. When he was….turned." my musings had made forget I was still awaiting an answer. She was in there, she could know stuff we didn't. possibly. She could explain the chip. Or maybe our bodies mutating by themselves, gaining new powers.**

"**do you know anything about us, as in the bird kids in general?" my need of getting answers made my tone sharper than I intended. She winced slightly before nodding.**

"**Because of your chip, they can tell how fast and high you can fly. They did more research into your blood and found out that you have no expiration date. Jeb had been lying. And because of your 2% bird, u guys are like birds in more ways than the wings and bones etc. you guys are like doves and swans, mates for life or in your case, once you find love,, its permanent. They don't know why this happened but they are pleased because it gives them more too work with. I would watch out though, if you do….fall for someone, they can use that to get to you" my mind was reeling. She knew a lot. The whole mates for life thing is…creepy. I really hope that's not the case with Fang and me. If they got him. My right hand man, my best friend, used to get to me because he loved me. Or worse, them making him give up because I was gone. I blinked back my horror and turned back to her. We had gotten what we needed but did that really make her trustworthy? I nodded. Signaling the flock meeting over. **

**I met Fangs eyes and we went to the shore line. I sighed before turning back to him. "well…do we trust her or not?" genius Max. just put it out there. I mean really. His black eyes bored into mine and I had the sudden urge to look away again. Fighting it I stared right back. My stomach clenched and knotted uncomfortably, as the silence drew on. **

"**I think we can trust her." he said finally, releasing me from his gaze. I let out the breath I wasn't aware I had been holding, my head spun a little and I looked back to the camp, Blaze was playing with a small flame, making it jump from finger tip to finger tip, talking with Gazzy. She seemed alright.**

_**Think of the Flock Max. think of Iggy, mates for life. What of his feelings. Go with the flow, let the chips fall where they may.**_

**Will you butt out! Quit nattering in my head and stop the go with the flow rubbish. Fang was watching me as I rubbed my temple, the voice was giving me a headache in retaliation. **

"**the voice" he stated. I nodded, and received a fresh wave of agony. His showed an echo of an emotion I couldn't place.**

"**we should move on" he nodded and we trudged back to the fire where Ig had just placed a plate of sausages down, currently being basically inhaled by the flock. Blaze was eating one slowly, watching the others in horrified fascination. I gave her a small smile and it was returned timidly. After the lovely 5 second breakfast we packed up, Blaze taking care of the fire by just making it swirl into the water. Before we took off, we got her to try flying again. it seems that being more bird than us, she had a lot of instinct for it, learning the basics rather fast. She fell a few times, we tried very hard not to laugh but it was sort of impossible, specially when she face planted into the mud. Once we had achieved take off, Nudge channel went on full. Nattering on to Blaze..**

"**your wings are so cool, they like remind me of phoenix, you know, but then you could like , control fire like a dragon. I wish we had dragons. They would have been cool. Do you think they would have helped us since you are like them. I like your nail polish too, its like fire but you know, hard and on your nails I want to be able to control fire, could you make it go in a ring around me but not burn me. That would be cool.." **

**I drowned out her endless talking by staring straight ahead and thinking of what we had learnt. Did I really love Fang like that? I mean. he is my best friend that has shown more than sibling-y love for me but still… life with out him is like cutting off my right wing. I didn't want to think of the repercussions. When he had kissed me, It was so right but then, so wrong. What if I allowed myself to hope, and he didn't…..couldn't…..if it turned out badly, it would destroy the flock. I was confused. My head suddenly gave a huge throb, my vision gained a red tint and black crept round the edges. My wings folded and I started to fall. I let the blackness consume me, before I lost myself completely in it I was aware of strong arms holding me. Fang. **


	4. Nightmares

_The information Blaze knew scared me. Not only was she 2% more bird than us, we all had a 'mate for life' instinct. You know, fall in love with one person and one person alone, die for them, do anything to keep them safe, never give them up. It puts us all at risk. Mainly me, Fang, Iggy and Blaze at the moment seeing as we the oldest. Being that vulnerable, not so appealing. Looking down, Missouri streamed beneath us. We should stop soon. Light was fading and even though that's never stopped us before, we had been flying for six hours straight. Which wasn't so good considering we had two flock members under the age of ten, another just learnt to fly and another one who just recovered from a wing injury._

_Speaking of which, I glanced over to my right, to the silent Bird boy in question. Fang's wing beats were slightly off. He looked at me then, emotionless eyes boring into mine._

"_I'm fine." he stated. But the slight tightness of his jaw suggested otherwise. I raised my eyebrows and snorted in disbelief. Like I was going to believe that. I began to descend but he cut me off, swerving in front of me._

"_I'm fine." he repeated. I shook my head and pointed to Burger King. _

"_Well I'm not" I stated waspishly. He held back a smile and backed off, allowing me to hurtle downwards again. I landed in an alley and shrugged my wind breaker back on. I thought back to when he had gotten hurt, he didn't tell us. He carried on flying until he blacked out. But the funny thing about flying is- Your high up, if you black out your going to fall and go splat on the ground below. Collapsing, not the best idea. Me and Ig just managed to catch him._

_Entering Burger King, we hurried up to the counter. The redhead at the front counter looked us up and down, taking in the mud, blood, grimy windbreakers, dirty haired look we all had going. Then she took in our faces, pausing on Fangs. The fake smile plastered on her face grew, becoming a little less fake._

_Acid churned in my stomach and I inhaled sharply through my nose. Putting on a fake smile of my own, I strode up to the counter, fury rolling off me in waves. I got a few curious looks from Fang and a knowing and sympathetic smile off Angel. _

"_How may I help you?" her preppy voice made me want to hurl. Her eyes darted back to Fang and I gritted my teeth._

"_four hamburgers with fries, two chocolate ,milkshakes and a hot fudge Sunday, please" there, I used please. Quite an accomplishment seeing as I wanted to rip her head off. She brought me my food a few minutes later and I sat down at the table closest to the door and furthest from her. The rest of the flock ordered in a similar fashion, Blaze ordering more than anyone. Her horrified Fascination turned to her supposed-to-be-alluring-but-just-looking-desperate smile returned s Fang stepped up to order last. Finishing off my Sunday, I watched them carefully. Fang was, as usual staring deadpan at her. She was chatting away happily. Talk about professional, flirting with customers. I turned away and clenched my fists under the table.. Fang came back with his tray and stared inhaling his food like the others. Once we left the place, I left the flock in the alley, going to the supermarket to get more protein bars. As soon as I got out the supermarket, I lost it. I let out all my frustration and stupidly punched the brick wall as hard as I could. Unfortunately, that's harder than your average human. It hurt like hell and I instantly regretted it. Well, I regretted it not being miss preppy redheads face. _

_The flock was waiting patiently when I got back and I carefully kept my hand away from the eyes that searched my face. The skin over my knuckles was split and bloody, the rest of my hand already bruising. I'm pretty sure Fang saw but he didn't say anything. We took off and headed towards a copse of trees. Copse sweet copse. I found no danger and we made camp, man, being on the run half your life ,makes you professional campers. You want to be an excellent camper, give the mad scientists in death valley a call. We stacked and tapped fists ready to settle down for the night._

_Angel and Nudge curled up together, Iggy rested against a tree while Fang and Gazzy lay down on one side of the fire. Blaze was practically in the fire. I took first watch, going into my Zen mode. Thinking nothing, seeing and hearing everything. It was a cool night, the slight breeze made my hair tickle my face a bit._

_As I started to get drowsy about 3 hours into my watch, I decided to wake Iggy up for his turn, that bird kid was still the best at it. I stood stiffly and looked down fondly at my flock. Fang wasn't there. Panic threatened to override my senses but I quickly choked it back. Walking silently to the fire, I tripped. Watching as the ground swirled up to meet my face I hit resistance. What?! The ground then vanished, being replaced by black clothing. Black clotthing on..Fang! Holy sh- Fang opened his eyes blearily. I had landed right on top of him! I groaned internally, he had turned invisible in his sleep!_

"_is it my watch already?" he blinked a few times before he caught up with what had happened "what are you doing ?" he queried._

"_er, hi" I squeaked, rolling off and jumping to my feet. Mentally slapping myself on the forehead a few times. He was about to reply when we heard a faint moan._

_Blaze turned over in her sleep, frowning and kicking. Her frown deepened and she rolled again, twisting this way and that. Tears leaked out of her closed eyes and she began muttering fast. The flames next to her dimmed and brightened, swaying with her movements. A fire controller having nightmares next to a fire doesn't bode well. She whimpered again and Iggy woke up. He looked around for a while then noticed Blaze tossing and turning like mad._

_We all watched, horrified as she twisted violently again. The flames, growing and twisting made strange shadows on her face. We were mesmerized. Ice cold water suddenly came from all sides along with a steel thread net. In the confusion I felt something slip over my head. No! a cloth bag. A sickly sweet smell forced its way up my nose and I felt blackness creeping in. vaguely I could hear shouts of 'keep her cold, stop her controlling the flames' being shouted by musical voices, some turning rough as they morphed into their wolfy forms. I was glad she was fighting back. Then the blackness over took me._

_When I woke, I was in a dog crate. Size large, recommended for your lovely Germen Shepherd. Looking around me I saw Fang still out of it in the crate next to mine. I reached my hand through and gently pushed his feathers back in the crate the right way. There was a window connecting our room to the one next to ours. It was like a huge fridge, Blaze was huddled in the corner, I could see her breath like ghostly smoke. They were making sure she couldn't use fire to escape. Stupid freaking white coats! Never leave us alone! Speak of the devil and the devil shall appear. A white coat entered the room and sauntered over to my cage. I could hear Fang starting to come round behind me. Two erasers leered down at me as they roughly dragged me out. Turning my head, his furiously cold glare was fixed on them manhandling me. The bastards had strapped my wings down with a steel band and padlock. The room they dragged me too was cold and had a big table in the center._

"_oh, I'm sorry, did I miss the tea party!" I snarled at them. They just gripped me tighter. I studied the table as I got closer. My stomach clenched as I saw the metal cuffs. For my hands and legs. The antiseptic smell was making my nose burn and I cringed as they strapped me down. My flock! I needed to find them! To save them!_

_I may be able to help_

'Voice! Where are they??

_But you may not want to know_

'screw it voice, I want to know and I want to know now!"

_Well, since you asked oh so politely. Your back in the school. Gazzy is caged in the grounds because he thought the place needed a new fragrance._

The voice actually chuckled! I hope Gazzy wasn't punished for one of his more violent explosions

_Oh, it wasn't one. It was about six actually._

'Geez, I'm glad I was out of it for that. What about Iggy, Nudge and Angel???'

_Angel is in the Brain section of the school. They are planning on finding out how her mind control and reading works_

My mind momentarily shut down in horror 'how? that's impossible!'

_You definitely don't want to know how_

Oh yes I do, spit it out.

_They will dissect her brain. Iggy is in the room opposite yours with Nudge. She is still out._

'ok, I didn't want to know.' My baby!! What am I going to do!

_Um, I think its you that you should be worrying about at this present moment._

'And why would that be voice. Because I'm back in the shit hole they call a school? My flock is going to be pulled apart piece by piece? No? maybe because I'm in a god dammed operating room?' the steel band around my wings was removed and one wing released. The other wing strapped back down with the band again. My stomach knotted and I grew even more horrified as my wing was stretched out and held down. My breathing picked up and my heart went double time. 'Um, Voice. What exactly are they doing??!'

_Are you sure you want to find out Maximum?_

'I asked didn't I?'

_Well, they are going to find out how your wings work, how they are attached and their structure._

'Oh. Well. I would say thanks but……' panic overrode everything as they wheeled in a trolley, bearing a wide variety of scalpels. I started to struggle but every time I moved, my stretched out wing twisted in unnatural ways. The elastics on their gloves snapped against their wrists ominously. The harder I struggled the more it hurt. I gave out one piercing, loud scream. The last thing I thought I would ever do, out of my mind I must be. They stuck a mask on my face, cutting my scream short. My struggles got more and more feeble. The last thing I felt before I went under was the gentle parting of feathers on my out stretched wing, then, nothing…..

Authors note:

Hey

Thanks for reviewing, sorry for the cliffy but I want some feedback before I continue.. I will face the flames if I must but I need feedback


	5. Not the Same

Fang's POV

we had been watching Blaze having her nightmare when the Erasers showed up. Always ruining everything. They used the water to douse the fire and while Blaze used everything she had , it wasn't enough. They slipped a black bag over her head and she was gone.

Fighting two erasers of my own I searched the surrounding area for Max. My heart almost stopped when I couldn't see her. Then I spotted her, a black bag was being slipped over her beautiful face. I fought harder, trying to reach Max. My Max. They were dragging her towards a waiting van. Desperation and adrenaline fueled me as struggled to reach her. The rest of the flock was similarly being taken away. They tried to force a bag over my head but I wasn't have a bar of that. Snarling I spun away but then I felt a sharp pain in my neck. A syringe of course. My last thought was of Max, was she ok?

I woke up a little to my feathers being gently stroked into place. I was in a dog crate. That was to be expected I suppose. The sound of the door being opened made me wake up more and I shook the drowsy feeling off. A scientist and two erasers had waltzed in as if they owned the place but then again, they did, just not us. They opened the cage I wasn't aware that was next to me. Max was dragged out. She stiffened her shoulders, the only sign of her pain. They smiled at her in the way that makes you really think about your situation, or hers in this case.

I. was. Furious. They were not going to do anything to her. Not even touch a feather on her wings! Not if they wanted to face me. I stared at them, murder in my eyes. She glanced back to me and her eyes widened in surprise at the hostility in my glare, directed at them of course. Nothing on the face of the earth would make me hurt or even think of glaring at her like that. She ended up being dragged out further. I wanted to rage at them, to take Max from their cruel hands and wrap my arms around her. Shielding her with my body and wings. Let her know that I will never let ANYONE harm her and that she was mine and mine alone. But that violated the mask I wore. I could never show that side of me to her, I had to stay strong for her and the flock. She didn't feel the same. I would always wait in the wings, so to speak.

The door clicked shut and I continued fuming silently, nodding to Blaze when she caught my eye. They were keeping her cold, huh, they got a teensy bit smarter. I needed to find Max. who knew what they were going to do to her. They may have gotten the fact that they needed to act fast if they wanted to do anything at all. With us that is. Concentrating as hard as I could, I tried with all my might to find a solution. Then, the lock clicked, the crate door swinging open. Looks like I have a new skill. I clambered out and found a steel band around my wings. In-genius. I tried concentrating on it, like the door. It pinged off, clattering to the floor. Cool. I looked back through the window at blaze. She had pulled her wings out and had them wrapped around her. They had changed a bit. Dull and dim, the gleam was gone. I sprinted to the door Max had left through. Well, been dragged through.

In the hallway, the room next to ours was labeled. 'extremely cold, wear protective clothing-no fire' must be Blaze's. I stared at the door. My determination to find Max making the concentration easy. It sprung open. I darted inside. Frick it was freezing!! The noise made Blaze turn in confusion. Seeing me, she staggered to her feet and stumbled over. Her eyes were green. Jeez, they needed to really sort them out. She pointed to the room opposite hers and hoarsely whispered "Iggy and Nudge are in there. Angel is 1 floor down, first door to your left, Gazzy is in the cage by the building, outside where they trained the Erasers."

"How do you know??" I was shocked. How could she know so freaking much!! I mean she first dumps all that other stuff on us and now this!

"the walls and floors are, I don't know, transparent. I can see them, in their rooms. But not reach them." she stated. Her eyes were warming up, turning redder. Time to go. I flew at the door that contained Iggy and Nudge. It banged open before I even reached it. Iggy and Nudge twisted round as far as they could in their cages. Their cages opened in an instant and so did their wing shackles. Pretty impressive.

A blood curdling scream interrupted the silence and made my blood run cold. Only pure desperation would make Max, heck, any of us, scream like that. I stopped hearing anything but her scream. I followed its noise, sprinting down the hall, my heart pounding in a frenzied rhythm. My ears rang with it. My mind shut down and then all of a sudden it stopped. The scream was cut off. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the feeling I had in my chest, the place that ached when Max was hurt, that felt hollow when she was gone. It tingled with longing and drew me on. Concentrating on the draw I followed it to the door it came from. It also sprung open. Max was strapped down on a table. One wing was stretched to its full extent. The scientists were frozen in the act of just starting to slice at the main muscle when I burst in.

They stared at me, taking in my expression. Oh, yes. I showed emotion. I showed white hot fury. How dare they lay a hand on her. On my Max. How dare they even think about doing anything to her. My eyes narrowed, I only saw targets, weak spots. All I heard was their gasps and the thuds as they landed on the floor, and her breathing, steady heartbeat assuring me she was alive.

Once they had all fallen and did not rise again. I turned to Max. She had a gas mask over her face. Unconscious. Her torso was twisted one way, her knees the opposite, fists loosely clenched. She had tried to escape. I staggered over to her, trying to hold back the panic that threatened to overwhelm me. They had cut a straight incision down the main part of her wing, my head throbbed and my eyes pricked. No. I wasn't going to cry. The shackles that held her, burst off and my breath caught as I saw where they had cut into her skin, I imagined her twisting, trying to get them off. I gently brushed the hair off her face and picked her up carefully, bridle style, folding her wing back under. Pounding footsteps had me take up a steadier stance, flaring out my wings, ready to shield her. Iggy came into view first, followed by Blaze then Nudge. I relaxed slightly as Iggy swept his newly fixed eyes over Max in my arms and then my stony expression. Our eyes connected and he gazed behind me, at the floor where the scientists that dared hurt her lay.

"omg! Did they kill her?!?! No, they couldn't have otherwise you wouldn't be angry, just sad and stuff.. Did you kill them!? but then they would have killed you. Like how animals eat or be eaten, like desert rats I hope we don't have to eat them again they were gro-" Nudge stopped when she caught the look on my face.

I nodded and we moved out, heading for the stairs where would find Angel, one floor down. The lack of Erasers was unnerving and we continued to sprint, wanting to get as far away from here as possible, as soon as possible. Angel was in a small room, waiting by the door for us as if she was in on it the whole time. She was shocked to see Max as she was but didn't comment. Hurrying on, erasers suddenly poured out from a room, red blood lust rising in their eyes. They started morphing and charged at us but I swerved into a room at the last second, the others streaming after me. We crashed through a window and snapped out our wings, catching the wind like sails. Gazzy was in a cage below, looking up at us mischievously. His cage also opened and he leapt up and joined us.

"I think we should get as far away from the cage as possible now. Or duck"

Gazzy yelled, gaining altitude. Now when ever a normal kid says duck or move, you expect a water gun or a slingshot. With Gazzy or Iggy, you move away as fast as you can go and don't look back. We flew as far as we could with out dropping from exhaustion, landing back in the hawk cave above lake Mead. it was the same as we left it and our friends the hawks let us in as seamlessly as before. I lay Max down on the floor and called Blaze over. Stretching out her injured wing Blaze placed one hand over the incision that went right down into the muscle. She shut her eyes for a while then opened them slowly, removing her hand, there was no sign the injury had ever been there. I muttered a quick thanks and picked Max up so she was more sitting on my lap sideways, head on my chest. I lifted up her hand, examining her knuckles where she evidently punched a wall back when we had been in McDonalds. Probably after she left to get more food. I knew the girl at the desk had annoyed her. I didn't understand why, when ever I had tried to express to Max how I felt, she ran away. I cant put into words my feelings. And I never will. She loves me as a brother, nothing more.

She started to stir and I breathed out a sigh of relief and watched as her fingers curled and relax. She opened her eyes, staring up at me, my heart melted as her eyes met mine. Warmth seeped through me but my face remained impassive. She shook her head slightly and tried to get her bearings. She stood quickly and immediately went into flock mother mode, checking every inch of everyone and making sure everyone was fine, handing out food and drinks. I could tell by her rigid shoulders that something was up, her eyes were slightly distant as she thought. I would bring it up later.

Max POV

As I woke, I could feel something warm and firm underneath me. My head was propped up and hard muscular arms were around me. Fang. I opened my eyes and at first everything was blurry. Shaking my head to clear the fog, I saw the flock looking rather disheveled but unharmed. Leaping up out of Fang's lap- shi-Fangs lap! How the heck did that happen?! I checked up on everyone. I made sure that the hunger pangs were gone before letting myself relax. The school was becoming more ambitious and acting faster. They knew from our constant escaping that if they wanted to experiment on us, they would have to do it basically the instant they got us to the school. Which is what they tried with me obviously.

The back of my neck prickled and I swung around instantly in a roundhouse kick. What can I say. I'm paranoid. Fang deftly ducked my foot and pulled me down to the ground to sit next to him. My eyes widened and I huffed as I thudded to the ground, well that worked well.

"Max, what's wrong?" Fangs quiet voice interrupted my musings and brought me back to reality. In the darkness I could barely see him, if he stayed still he became invisible. I hated it when I couldn't see him, I felt alone sitting in the darkness.

"Fang, they wanted to..t..to open Angels brain and find out how her mind talk works, they wanted to find out how our wings attach to our spine. They are getting more and more ambitious, we cant risk them finding us again what if the next time they want to get my wings off, they succeed? How did they get stopped anyway??" great, I had developed a stutter. But I needed to get what I had heard across. It was crucial that someone else knew. I looked down at my hands and willed the unshed tears in my eyes to disappear. How had I gotten away?? I was completely unharmed.

It was Fangs turn to look down now. His usual emotionless mask was cracking. I could see emotion in his eyes, hesitation, hurt and something I couldn't place my finger on. I reached out and touched his shoulder briefly. He looked up at me, apology in his eyes. "I er, got a new power." he murmured. My eyes flew open in shock. Another power for the flock. What ever next. "by concentrating, I could make all the locks, cages and doors open. I freed the flock that way. I was out and I heard you scream and I came and got you." he continued, still not making eye contact. I was, shocked for one. But also really glad that no matter how desperate it seemed, I had screamed.

"Thank you Fang." I said simply. I'm so eloquent.

Fang's POV.

Max had wandered away from the flocks happy bantering and stood on the edge of the cave, over looking lake Mead. I silently padded up behind her and watched as she tensed then swung into an instantaneous roundhouse kick. I ducked her foot and grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the ground next to me.

"What's up?" jeez, could I be more cheesy. Of all the things I could say, it was that?!

"Fang, they wanted to..t..to open Angels brain and find out how her mind talk works, they wanted to find out how our wings attach to our spine. They are getting more and more ambitious, we cant risk them finding us again what if the next time they want to get my wings off, they succeed? How did they get stopped anyway??" she went on in a rush, by the end of it, I could see the tears in her eyes but I knew she wouldn't let them fall. she remained strong for the flock in the same way I stayed strong for her.

I looked down. I didn't want to tell her how I found her. The way I stopped feeling to find her, all I felt was rage. They had tried to harm her. But I wanted her to know me, how I felt too. I loved her too much to drive her away now. I jumped at the sudden contact as her hand rested on my shoulder, her touch seemed to sink down into my bones, spreading warmth and I resisted the urge to lean into her. That would be too much.

"I er, got a new power." I mumbled to my feet. I did, so I wasn't lying in way. But she wasn't going to know about the draw that brought me to her. Her eyes flashed open and I could basically read the 'oh, great, it just keeps on coming' in her expression. "by concentrating, I could make all the locks, cages and doors open. I freed the flock that way. I was out and I heard you scream and I came and got you." I muttered again. Examining my shoelaces I made sure she could see no contradiction in my eyes. The mask was cracking and I knew she couldn't handle it if it did. I was her rock. Angel told me that.

"thank you Fang" I looked up to her and saw her small humiliated smile. I guess she did have to resort to screaming. I got up and held my hand out to help her up. She glanced at it at briefly then grasped it in her small hand that could down any normal person no sweat. Pulling her to her feet she was just clearing my shoulder. And she used to be taller than me. Before she could speak I dibbed first watch. I never slept when she was on watch anyway. What if she got taken while we slept again? And I couldn't protect her because I was doing something stupid like sleeping!

She opened her mouth to argue but just ended up yawning. Ha! She grimaced but conceded, heading back into the cave, the mere turn of her back, walking away from me sent sadness through my chest, echoing in dim reverberations in my limbs. I closed my eyes briefly, letting it consume me. Get used to the pain Fang. She is not for you. She will never be _your_ Max.

Sound close by made my eyes snap open again, the pain not yet gone from them. Max's anxious brown ones were in front of mine again. She saw the pain there, she didn't know what caused it and didn't know the best way to help but she did the first thing she could think of probably. She blinked in surprise and hugged me softly, probably because of my usual low tolerance of hugs. I tentatively wrapped my arms around her, ignoring the electric shocks that was shooting through me because of the contact. It made me feel better instantly.

"its ok Fang. I'll always be here for you." she whispered. I held her tightly, letting my emotions go for the moment before I drew back and put my mask back on. I pulled on a half hearted smile and she led the way back into the cave. The kids had already settled down and she stacked and tapped fists with me before she also settled down near the kids. Her breathing was calming and it soon slowed to even deep breathing as she slept.

I was about an hour into my watch when her breathing hitched. Her breaths came in irregular gasps but she was still asleep. I wandered over, she was wearing a panicked expression and her wings twitched as if she was flying. Probably was in her dream. "Fang! No!" her hushed whisper startled me, she was still asleep but now her fists unclenched and clenched, knuckles whitening. "Fang, my Fang, Fang…no…….don't. don't…leave me." she whimpered and her expression grew tortured. "leave him! don't touch him!" she growled suddenly., curling up as she twisted. "No! Fang, I love you!.…no…..don't…don't close your eyes…stay. Stay…..with me…I…need you!" she cried and a few tears escaped her closed lids. Her hands clenched around thin air as if it could save her from plummeting as I was, listening to her pain was like driving a knife slowly through my heart. I kneeled down and took one of her hands, something that I had been wanting to do since, well, forever.

"shh, I'm here Max, I'm not going to leave you, I promise." I whispered and her face relaxed slightly. Her nails had dug into her palms, leaving scarlet curved cuts. My stomach clenched and I glanced around. Making sure no one was awake. I bent down to her ear and whispered as quietly as possible. "I love you too Max." she smiled at that and slept on. She at least knew that in her dreams. Just not in real life. She meant she loved me as a brother and needed me as her best friend. I was no simpleton.


	6. Dreams and Duels

**Max's POV**

**Fang took first watch before I could offer, when I wanted to argue my body betrayed me and fricking yawned. Great. I nodded and turned back to the cave. Maybe I was tired. Glancing back to see what was holding Fang up, I saw him close his eyes and shudder. Fang was in pain?! He wasn't hurt but right now, when he thought I wasn't looking, he had let the pain consume him for a moment. He looked so…so vulnerable. I turned back to him and silently walked back, searching his face for answers I knew I wasn't going to get. His eyes snapped open, full of misery and pain. Fang was showing emotions, his mask was gone for the instant his eyes shot open. I hugged him softly, knowing he didn't really like hugs. I wanted him to know that I would always be here. The contact sent chills shooting through me and I inhaled his woodsy scent. His arms crept around me slowly, hesitant and careful.**

"**its ok Fang. I'll always be here for you" I murmured. I would always listen. Life with out him was like cutting off my right wing. I couldn't function properly with out him, my right handman, my best friend. His arms tightened and he buried his head in my shoulder. When he pulled back his mask was back and he half smiled, not really putting everything into it. I led the way back into the cave and took in my sleeping flock. They were fast asleep, thanks to Ig probably. We stacked and tapped fists and I stepped over the sleeping Iggy and lay down on the other side of the fire. Blaze always seemed to sleep almost in the fire.. must ask her about that sometime. I yawned again and rubbed my wings into the silt a bit. I feel asleep almost immediately, going into an awful nightmare.**

_**We were fighting flyboys again, Iggy was fighting three at a time, one of his eyes already swelling shut. Angel was getting flyboys to repeatedly ram into trees with their heads. Gazzy was forcing small explosives into jacket pockets then pushing them away,, down into the trees, Blaze was circling a group of four with a ring of airborne fire, her wings were alight. Nudge was holding her own against two, talking the whole time. Me and Fang were fighting back to back, roundhouse kicks from both pf us colliding with eraser stomach, the air leaving them in huffs. I claw raked down my arm and a tap on the shoulder signaled him and me to both take to the sky. Crouching a bit for extra take off time, we launched ourselves upwards. The fighting continued for a long time and I saw out of the corner of my eye, a figure plummeting towards earth from way above us. The figures black wings folded uselessly at their side. Fang!**_

_**I dispatched my opponent with a punch to the nose, hopefully shoving it into their brain. streaking up I flapped as hard and as fast as I could. Fang increased speed as he fell, and I angled myself downwards a little. Swooping I caught him just above the tree canopy. Hugging him to my chest I glided down and lowered him gently. He was still conscious.. He coughed a little. "Fang no!!" I clenched my hands on his shirt, crying silently. "Fang!" my fang, Fang.. No! he looked up at me through half closed eyes. "No! don't! don't leave me!!!" I cried again. Eraser paws grabbed me and him. "leave him! don't touch him!" the erasers disappeared, only to be replaced by the flock, bloody and tired, they looked down in horror at him. His eyes started to close again and the panic came again. "No! Fang, I love you! No, don't, don't close your eyes, stay! Stay with me." I pleaded with him and ordered him and they continued to close. I held his shirt tighter and cried more, I was so pathetic. "I need you!"**_

_**He took my hand and opened his eyes again, "shhhh" he soothed.. "I'm here Max, I'm not going to leave you, I promise." his eyes were honest and soft. The pain lingered but he fought it back, stroking my hand lightly. "I love you too Max." I smiled weakly and nodded. The flock converged upon us and Blaze looked for his injuries, preparing to fix them.**_

**I woke up with a start. Iggy was on watch and Fang was asleep next to me, holding my hand loosely. What?? How did that happen. I remembered the dream and shuddered. Pulling my hand gently out of his, I stood up and stretched, noting the sore muscles that protested to the movement. "what's for breakfast Ig?" I mumbled, knowing he would hear me. **

"**hmmm…how about protein bars and eggs?" was my muffled reply. Eggs were Iggy's specialty really. I nodded and proceeded to shake the others awake. My thoughts kept turning back to my dream and it hit me with fresh wave of agony each time. Angel looked up at me curiously and I meticulously locked down the dream so she couldn't see it. She already knew about basically everything she shouldn't so I didn't want to add to that list. I gently shook Fang's shoulder and he turned over sleepily, closing is hand briefly, where my hand had been. He shot up into sitting position when it closed around nothing but air and looked around a bit before noticing me, crouching in front of him.**

**I shook my head and went back to Iggy, serving the eggs that were being eaten with gusto that's a defining feature of the flock. It tasted so good, it was like we were super starving and hadn't eaten properly for days. Not like we were super starving mutant bird kids on the run that hadn't eaten for hours for example. Once everyone had finished we sat around for a little while, enjoying each others company and the peace and quiet. That is before, before Nudge woke up fully. After listening for 5 minutes straight the problems with glittery nail polish and outfits that seamlessly changed into the colours of the rainbow, I'd had enough and we cleared up camp and prepared to take off. **

**Snapping out my wings, I casually stepped off the cave mouth and into space falling until the air caught under them like a parachute. I loved the feel of the wind rushing over my primaries. The flock followed suit except for Gazzy who cannon bomb leapt of the side, dropping like a feathery rock then pulling out his wings and catching an air current. Fang rose up above me and turned questioning eyes to me.**

"**what were you dreaming about last night?" he whispered. I froze and almost forgot to flap. stupid stupid stupid dream, mucking up my stupid already mucked up life. I grimaced and wildly thought up an excuse. "er, the usual. Why?" was my genius response. I should've just stuck a sticker to my forehead announcing I'm an idiotic liar. He rolled his eyes slightly and pulled the is-that-the-best-you-can-do face. Looking down at the ground speeding below us he whispered, almost inaudibly " I heard you talking in your sleep last night"**

**My stomach dropped down and I imagined it landing on someone down on the ground. Eww. What had he heard. Not all that I remember saying. If he did. Jeez, I didn't even want to think about it. The look on his face confirmed, he had indeed heard all that I had said in my dream. I. was. Screwed. If there is a god, kill me now. He sighed and beat his wings at the same time as mine so he could get closer.. He looked at me seriously, "what happened Max?"**

"**Nothing, it was just a silly dream. Erasers, the flock. Its just living my life in my dream as well as when I'm awake." there, do with that what he may. That was as much as he was going to get. I sped up and led the flock again, pointing myself towards the sun. and that's when the brain attack hit. It felt like I was being dunked in a bath of acid, hit by a truck and sawed in half by a chainsaw. All at the same time. I held my head in my hands, and cried out once before my wings folded and I started to plummet. Images flashed through my head quickly and stabbed my brain as they left. It was like trying to grab smoke. My senses were on fire and I twisted and writhed, my head felt like it was exploding and everything was on fire, all I could feel was heat and I was seeing red. I wanted it to stop. I needed it to stop The agony was not numbing, I could feel the pain acutely where ever it went. The air rushing past me stopped but the fire continued. This was not my normal grenade-splattering-brain-inside-skull headache. It was worse. Much worse. **

**Water was being poured over my face and Fang came into view before the darkness took me.**

_**Hello Max. Did you miss me?**_

**The voice crooned in my head. It obviously was oblivious to the fact that I was in **_**pain.**_

_**Actually, I'm very aware that you are in pain. **_

**Oh, shut up and leave me alone. What do you want from me!? As per usual, the voice did not answer a direct question. Stupid voice. Stupid school. Argh. My head. I started to come around a bit and the sound of fighting surprised me. Opening my eyes a crack, I saw the flock all tied up except for Fang, he was standing in front of me, fighting…. Ari! Behind me was a wall of some sort and the flock was standing tied to trees on the other side of the dueling pair. Erasers were watching them and they all had injuries of some sort. Shit! I had blacked out just before the fight started!! What the heck is up with that! I turned my attention back to Fang and Ari. They were sort of circling each other, but Fang was not letting Ari any closer to me, so they were going side to side. Each looking for an opening. Something was in my back pocket and I carefully pulled it out without anyone noticing. It was the matches. I called out in mind as loud as I could. 'Angel! Get Blaze to look at me! Tell her I have matches!' I repeated it about three more times before Angel looked at me herself then apparently 'told' Blaze. Blaze instantly looked at me. I carefully lit a match and watched as the flames leapt to the ground. They stayed small and seemed to go across the ground as if rolling in a small breeze. The flames started up the tree and started burning through the bindings. The flock remained immobile until the last rope fell free, erasers were to preoccupied with the fight to notice. I turned my attention back to it also and watched as they fought it out. Why was it always them? They always fought together, ending up hurting each other.**__

**Fang had Ari in some form of headlock and was punching him in the face repeatedly. Each punch emphasized a word.**

"**stay." punch in the mouth. "away" punch in the eye**_**. **_**"from." knee in the stomach. "Max." knee in the face. Ari fell to the ground and Fang**__**foot on his chest, holding him down. "and stay away from my family" with that Blaze let the flames grow and they encircled the enraptured erasers, constricting and becoming a smaller and smaller circle, until the erasers were in a little huddle, cowering in terror. One by one the Erasers seemed to fall asleep, dropping to the ground.**__**Angel must've told them too. Ari was still glaring up at Fang, Fang was staring down at him in hate. The emotion plain on his face. **

"**Max will never be yours, little birdie." Ari growled low. Fang pressed harder and leaned down. Hissing through his clenched teeth, his eyes alight with emotion. "Max is already mine mutt. And there isn't **_**anything**_** that's going to change that." it was so quiet I barely heard him. The flock didn't but I was so much closer. I staggered to my feet and made my way precariously to where they were, staring daggers at each other. If looks could kill, Ari and the ground beneath him would be well and truly dead. Inconspicuously, I used Fang to kept myself upright and glared at Ari, he stared back up defiantly. I crouched down next to his head and whispered in his ear "you have three options. 1. Leave now, in one piece. 2. Tell us everything you know or 3. We can have an eraser barbecue.." He got the gist and looked at Blaze fearfully as she watched the flames hover about 5 cm away from the group of erasers. He slowly got to his feet and we watched as he and the erasers backed out then started running. I sighed in relief and then fell back onto the ground. All my senses were hyper alert. The light was too bright, the air to cold. The sounds were all to loud, it was like when I first came out of the isolation tank, so long ago. I shuddered at the memory.**

**Fang's POV**

**I fell asleep still holding Max's hand. She stayed calm mostly and mumbled something about shredded arm. In my dream I was in a black room, no windows or doors, I ran from wall to wall, trying to get out. When I was shaken awake, I closed my hand around Max's again, only to find it wasn't there. I shot to sitting position and looked around. Erasers? No. Max was crouched in front of me, looking faintly amused. She stood back up and we inhaled eggs made by Ig. Once Nudge had been talking for 5 minutes straight, Max deemed it dangerous to stay any longer.**

**We all stepped off the cave ledge and started flying east. I caught up with Max and rose above her. She looked up curiously and I felt my heart give a small squeeze. "what were you dreaming about last night?" I mumbled. I saw her freeze slightly and the stutter I heard in her wing beats told me she had almost forgotten to flap. she grimaced and nervously started**

"**er, the usual. Why?" I could tell instantly that she was lying and she knew that. I rolled my eyes for her benefit and tried again. "I heard you talking in your sleep last night." I stared down at the landscape passing beneath us "what happened?". I glanced back up at her face and saw the dread there. I could basically hear her thinking 'Oh, god. Did he hear everything?'. she drew in a small breathe and rushed.**

"**Nothing, it was just a silly dream. Erasers, the flock. Its just living my life in my dream as well as when I'm awake." with that she pulled out the speed and shot ahead. I was just thinking over her answer when she cried out and her wings folded. She was grasping her head and writhing in agony as she plummeted towards earth. Panic came fast and hard and I streaked after her. Grabbing her around the waist I held her tightly, she kicked and wiggled as she held her head as if to stop it exploding. It was hard to hold her. Iggy yelled something and I spun as cold dread trickled through me. Erasers. A whole group of them was approaching and herding us. I scanned the forest below and saw a shallow cave. Diving down towards it, Max went limp after mumbling a few times "let me die, make it stop"**

**We all landed and I quickly tried pouring water over her face. Her eyes flickered and she briefly looked at me but then her eyes rolled back up and she blacked out again. I lay her as far back as I could and watched as they erasers closed in. The normal fight ensued but after a while it was just me left fighting Ari. The others were bound to trees with their merry bunch of guards. Ari was trying to get me to circle him , putting him closer to Max but I just went side to side, forcing him to do the same. I leapt at him them and we struggled for a little while, exchanging punches and kicks. I faintly saw a small flame breeze to the others and forced the erasers attention on us by growling a few times. The bindings fell free but they waited for the signal, good kids. I got Ari in a headlock. "stay." punch in the mouth. "away" punch in the eye**_**. **_**"from." knee in the stomach. "Max." knee in the face. Ari fell to the ground and I put my foot on his chest, holding him down. "and stay away from my family". Blaze encircled the erasers with fire and Angel 'told' them to fall asleep. I glared down at him, putting all my fury into my face. He glared back and then a calculating twinkle came into his eye.**

"**Max will never be yours, little birdie." he growled in an undertone. I already knew that but it still stung and sent pain coursing through me. He was right but I wasn't going to let him know that. He was vile, twisted and pathetic. I pressed down harder with my foot, Ari wheezed a bit and I leant down closer to him. "Max is already mine mutt. And there isn't **_**anything**_** that's going to change that." I hissed through my clenched teeth and the venom in my voice was so sincere I believed it myself even if I knew it wasn't true. No one heard me but Ari, I made sure of that. Someone getting to their feet with difficulty made me strain to hear who it was but the staggering footsteps from behind me told me it was Max. inside I was relieved that she was ok but I let nothing but rage show on my face. In a way that no one saw, Max let out one of her wings a little bit and rested it on my back, keeping herself steady and on her feet. She was leaning slightly but it was barely noticeable. Crouching down she put one hand on the ground and looked at Ari with a mix of hate and the commanding air she used to send the kids to bed with. **

"**you have three options. 1. Leave now, in one piece. 2. Tell us everything you know or 3. We can have an eraser barbecue.. " she trailed off suggestively and the threat in her voice was barely concealed. Ari took one look at Blaze and backed out the clearing after his men had been 'woken' by Angel. Max sighed and fell back onto the ground, laying down and not moving. She shuddered a couple times and squeezed her eyes shut, looking like she was trying to block out the light. Max, why must you be so difficult. I kept the flock quiet and she fell into a fitful sleep. The voice must be back. **


	7. Vulnerability

Max POV.

Argh, my head. I lay on the ground after one of the worst nights sleeps I have EVER had. It wasn't even a dream. Every sense I had and every sense I wasn't aware I had went haywire. It was a nightmare-no pun intended. I listened carefully to the flock around me. From the deep breathing I was the only one up except for……Fang. He was on watch. I hated it when he was on watch. I felt safe and all but I never felt he was safe. Which is stupid really but, hello, I was abducted and replaced in the middle of the night in a hotel room. I have the right to be paranoid.

_And because you love him. that's why your worried._

Excuuuuse me. I didn't ask for your opinion and if your waiting for me to do so, I wouldn't hold your breath. Actually, please do.

_You are so kind to me. And you will ask for it one day. don't worry about that Maximum._

Oh yeah? How about a day after never. Not in this lifetime bud. And would it kill you to call me Max??

_No it wouldn't. But I'm calling you by your proper name because that's what you are you are the best and the last hope to saving the world. __The__ Maximum Ride._

Yawn. I've heard it all before. What else do you want?? Maybe it will go with its usual 'don't answer a direct question' rule and leave me alone.

_Well, I actually wanted to talk to you about Fang. And certain aspects of the flock._

My mental mouth fell open. What!! The voice did NOT just say that. What about Fang? I mean we were best friends, ARE best friends. What the hell was the past tense for?

_Because you are something more now. You guys are not just best friends and that has been brought to the attention of the school. Do you remember what Blaze told you about? The mate for life instinct you guys were accidentally programmed with?_

Of course I remember. Why would I not remember a huge bombshell like that. And here I was, thinking you knew me inside out. I was being sarcastic with the voice in my head. Great. Thirty-fourth sign of madness.

_Well, the school suspects that Fang and you have fallen into that instinct, mostly on Ari recounting Fang's little…….episode when they were fighting. Just from listening I could her the protective tone of voice he was using. I thought that I better warn you. The school wants to test this instinct. They are going to try capture you guys again and they will probably make Fang watch you getting hurt or something similar or visa versa._

Great. that's flipping fabulous. Anything else you want to drop on me?

_You really need to calm down._

Thanks for the tip. Now how do you propose I do that voice. The sarcasm was layered on so thick I'm surprised I even managed a sincere thought at all. Fang shuffled slightly and I tensed straining to hear what was going on.

_Well, what makes you feel better?_

Hmmm. Not having an annoying voice in my head is one of them. I could hear the reprimand coming so I quickly sifted through all the max-being-calmed-down situations. Keyword being: Successful. What made me happy when I was sad? Or at least less sad. The answer came simply. Fang, whenever I was upset, Fang always knew exactly what to say or do. He understood me as much as anyone other than me and the voice could.

_Very good. That is what you need._

Who the heck do you think you are?! I have been locked in a dog crate for the early years of my life, had my DNA forcibly split and bird genes put in, been on the run basically all my life with people trying to kill me and my family and your telling me that I need someone?

Personally, I did need Fang. More than anyone was ever going to find out. This lie hurt because, even though I said it with as much venom as I could produce, it still was feeble and sounded false in my ears. A world without Fang was too painful to contemplate.

_See. Yes, you do need Fang. And he needs you. More than you will ever know so stop ignoring him and your feelings._

Look, voice. I know you can see in my head but you cant see in his. You don't know what he wants or needs. Now hurry up and finish what you want to say and let me sleep. I was defeated. And I wanted it to be as short and as painless as possible.

_Well. We are getting our temper under control. Very well. I want to let you know that while this instinct is a vulnerability in one way, it is strength stronger than most in an other. Also, very soon, you are all going to develop a new ability. The scientists didn't program what they were going to be but it is scheduled that soon you will all get a fever and then the bird DNA will independently mutate, giving you another power. Just a warning. _

Gee, thanks. I'll think on it. And thank you. I really mean it. But can I sleep now?

_Sure Maximum. But remember, talk to Fang. And go to hotel for a night or two. You need to relax. You will find it easier to think then._

Yeah, yeah. I get it. Bye for now because I know you will be back. Unfortunately sometimes, you always are. But the voice was gone. I shook my head slightly and sat up. The sun wasn't up yet so my eyes didn't burn as bad as before. Fang glanced up at me and I saw the mask fall into place quickly. He needs you more than you know? What did the voice mean? I mean, Fang didn't like help and he didn't show need for anything. Apart from food. Damn voice, far too cryptic if you ask me.

_I'm not that bad…_

I thought you had left!

_I'm never gone. I just keep quiet. I'm here always, listening_

Stalker much. Never mind. What did you mean 'he needs me'? it's a ridiculous concept. He doesn't need anyone and if he needed me in particular he wouldn't flirt with everything that's female! And human.

_He thinks your cute when your jealous but he doesn't like it when you punch walls because of jealousy. He hates it when your hurt. If you heard him when he was trying to find you in the school. After you screamed. I didn't like hearing that. _

What? Can you hear others thoughts?? that's not very good. Its bad enough that Angel does. Its an invasion of privacy. And your lying, he doesn't love me in that way. We are like brother and sister.

_I can only hear the flocks thoughts sometimes and he was thinking pretty loudly. He does love you, more than a brother and sister would but you have to accept that yourself. I can't make you believe it._

What ever. Go away and try block out my thoughts…please

I stumbled over and sat next to the log by Fang. He was gazing out over the land around us, scanning for movement that might be an enemy. "I'll take watch, go get some sleep Fang" of course he looked at me as if was mad. He shook his head and I ground my teeth in frustration. I bit it back an calmed myself some what. If he was going to be difficult I was going to use the soft approach. I gently ran my finger over the circles under his eyes. "you look tired Fang, get some sleep. Please. I feel fine." I said this softly. He tensed at the contact but his eyes drifted a little. I smiled. He was defeated.

"fine. But if you black out or anything, I will never let you go on watch again" he threatened lightly and I raised an eyebrow.

"under who's orders." I countered. Over my dead body was he banning me from watch. He grinned suddenly and shook his head. The whole area lit up when he grinned and I smiled back. Just a automatic reaction I guess. He got up and lay down next to the fire. I could feel his eyes on me and my conversation with the voice came back to me.

"Hey, Fang. Are you o.k.?" I asked him and I heard his breath come a little faster when I spoke. What was up with that? Was he hurt? I turned to look at him and inspected him. He was thinking. I could see that much.

"I'm fine" he was lying. I could see that. I rolled my eyes.

"Go to sleep Fang." he turned over and his breathing slowed. He might be asleep or he might be faking it. I don't know with him. Did I love him? As a brother, yes. But as more? Maybe, I mean, when I'm in trouble, I think of him. I'm not meaning Damsel in Distress. I can do the BEST distress but no Damseling, hell no. like when we were in Germany. And when he left it felt like half of me went with him. But how was that a strength? It made me feel weak. But when we were together. that's when the school should be afraid. We were the invincible duo. To the flock too I guess. I remembered all the times we had been fighting, back to back. The time he had lifted me up and spun me while I kicked at the robots surrounding us, that was when we were at our best. When we were together. Gee, I didn't know I could do so much thinking. We were vulnerable when we were apart because we needed the other to think straight. When I had gone on the rescue mission by myself, I kept thinking 'when Fang causes a diversion….or, Fang will keep watch while I…' it was always thinking about the two of us, we were always together in my mind. It was stupid, since when had I become so….so dependent on someone? The voice was right, I did need him. Voice?

_Yes Maximum._

I'm in love with him aren't I?

_Only your heart can tell you that I don't know for sure, I can only guess._

Damn. This is so tiring. Bad thing about thinking on watch. You sort of drift off into your own little world, hence the reason for zen mode. Damn it. "I do love him." I mumbled. Out loud for some strange reason. No one was awake anyway. A twig snapping brought me back to reality faster than Nudge can say 'I'm hungry'. I just heard the faint sound of Eraser foot steps before I was standing "FLOCK, U AND A PRONTO!" Fang leapt up before my words had even left my mouth and the rest got up as if they had been hit by a bolt of lightening. Grabbing our backpacks they leapt into the air, I waited until Blaze had struggled up before jumping. Just as I drove my wings down, a clawed hand grabbed my ankle and pulled me back to the ground. Slamming into the dirt, I rolled to the side and faced about twenty erasers. Four had wings. Not too bad considering there was two of us. Wait, Fang was up in the air with the flock. He better be anyway. I glanced up while watching the Erasers in my peripheral vision. A certain dark haired, dark clothed, black winged member was coming down.

"Fang! don't you dare! You are going to stay up there, OUT of harms way and watch the flock. I don't care what you think!" I yelled at him. Fang hovered above the trees. Indecisive. The words left my mouth before I thought about what the hell I was saying "Fang, go back. I care about you too much to have you getting hurt now." I swear I turned red faster than my brain spinning. What the hell did I just say! The Erasers chuckled in the way that made my skin crawl. I looked at them quickly, they were starting to creep forward, hoping to catch me off guard because I was talking. didn't they know girls can multi-task?? A smooth voice came out of the darkness and made the hair on the back of my neck rise.

"Shall we make you watch us kill the little one first? Or the blind one?" I snarled and threw myself forward at them. There was no way in hell they were going to touch ANY of my flock.

_Maximum, behind you. Roll to the left._

I did as I was told and a heavy blow swung where my head had just been. I did a roundhouse kick to the culprits head and my foot connected with their head. It crunched in a sickening way. I dodged a punch to my nose and launched one of my own, then clapped my hands on a pair of furry ears. The eraser screamed as his ear drums popped. I felt my speed coming and even though I wasn't in flight it came. I was moving faster than I ever had before. Maybe I had this all along, just never tried. I darted behind one and yanked on its wing, it popped out of its joint and then carried on. Once I was free to take off, I leapt up, still going freaky fast, rocketing upwards. When I was high enough, I slowed and angled myself towards the flock. They were waiting and looked at me expectantly.

"who wants to go to a hotel?" I volunteered. I was very aware of everyone staring at me as if was a complete nut case. And not because of the hotel..

Crap.

Fangs POV.

I heard Max wake up but her silence meant that the voice and her were having a little chat. Or a long chat. I wonder what it's saying. I listened harder and heard her inhale quickly. She was angry with it. She sighed in a defeated way and I glanced at her curiously. She had the strangest expression on her face. Strange but still breathtakingly beautiful. She shook her head and opened her eyes cautiously. She looked at me and I quickly put on my trademark, expressionless face. Her eyes unfocused again and she talked to the voice for a little while longer. It was chatty tonight. While she was out of it I could look at her all I want. She always seemed to sense my gaze other times. Really embarrassing, not that she knew that. She staggered over to where I was sitting and I instantly scanned our surroundings, making sure nothing was coming. I was never going to let anyone hurt Max again, if they tried, they would have to go through me first.

"I'll take watch, go get some sleep Fang" she murmured, watching me in that way that had become usual for her. She was worried. About what I didn't know. I looked at her and raised my eyebrow slightly. She looked as tired as I felt. There was no way she was going to take watch. I shook my head slightly and watched as the eyes I loved brightened with anger and her teeth audibly came together. She took a deep breath and I could see her calming herself down. Her eyes softened and she looked at me again. I knew she was just trying to get me to go, but what I wouldn't give to get her to look at me like that always. She softly traced the circles under my eyes with the tip of her finger, the warmth seemed to seep into my skin.

"you look tired Fang, get some sleep. Please. I feel fine" she basically whispered this. I tensed slightly, making my arms stay stationary and not move to wrap her in hug as they burned to do. To keep my head still and not bury it in her hair as I longed to do. My eyes drifted halfway shut and I resisted the urge to lean into her hand. I saw her smile slightly and I knew I was done for.

"Fine. But if you black out or anything, I will never let you go on watch again" I teased and watched as her eyebrow shot up.

"under who's orders." she shot back. Her smug face was so cute it was funny. I grinned suddenly and shook my head, she was impossible. Her answering smile was brilliant, it lit up her whole face making it even more beautiful than it already was. Her smile was really something. I got up and went to the fire where it was warmer. I stared at her back, watching where her wings joined to her back. The muscles on her back were not overly apparent but were finely defined, betraying her strength.

"Hey, Fang. Are you o.k.?" she interrupted my staring. Her question seemed almost…uncertain. I inhaled sharply and thought about earlier. I wasn't o.k., Max didn't love me the way I love her and she never will. how can I be o.k. when my heart hurts at every beat? She turned to me and scrutinized me. All she would see was my thinking face.

"I'm fine". she rolled her eyes, not fooled I take it. She always could read me. Better than Angel could. But I didn't mind, I loved it that I could read her and she could read me better than anyone else. It was our….connection I guess. Sappy me huh.

"Go to sleep Fang." she mumbled.. I turned over, I didn't want to be caught staring again. But I couldn't sleep. What if they came back or she had another brain attack. I made my breathing slow so she wouldn't be suspicious. Even with my eyes closed, I could still see her face. Under my eyes tingled where she touched me and I wanted that contact again. She was quiet and after a while I could hear some strange noises. I listened harder and the noise separated itself from the innocent night sounds. Erasers. I didn't want to get caught not sleeping so I waited for her to notice. Why wasn't she moving yet. She hadn't fallen sleep. Damn it, she was thinking.

"I do love him." what!! What the heck! Did she just whisper what I think she whispered?? She gasped and I heard her leap to her feet.

"FLOCK, U AND A PRONTO!" she yelled. Her voice was calm and steady, what would we do without her. I leapt up before she had even finished and everyone else shot up a few seconds behind her words. They grabbed their bags as they had been taught but because of the small opening in the trees, we had to take off one at a time. I went first and watched as everyone else rose up. Blaze was before Max and slowly managed to get up. Max was almost out of reach but just as she was ascending, an Eraser grabbed her by the ankle. I turned instantly and was starting to streak down. She rolled to the side and looked around once before snapping her head up. There was twenty Erasers, too many for her alone. I heard her growl faintly. As if that would stop me.

"Fang! don't you dare! You are going to stay up there, OUT of harms way and watch the flock. I don't care what you think!" she yelled, using that commanding voice that was so endearing. I hovered a little. I couldn't stand the thought of her being hurt. There wasn't much she could say to change my mind.

"Fang, go back. I care about you too much to have you getting hurt now." her face turned so red I thought steam might come out of her ears. I almost forgot to flap. that just made me want to help her more!!! But she didn't want me hurt! Oh this is too confusing! The Erasers started creeping toward her and she turned to them. Her face turned to stone and I knew this was the Max that no one should mess with. They chuckled in a sinister way and I knew they were in for it.

"Shall we make you watch us kill the little one first? Or the blind one?" one of them offered in a well oiled voice, a new eraser. She growled and flew at them. I was about to warn her as one leapt at her from behind, but she swung down and to the left before she could've even heard it and round-housed him in the head, dodging a punch she broke ones nose and then blew another's eardrums. Then she suddenly was a blur, her super speed had kicked in as she was running. She was behind one with its wings popped out of their sockets before they saw her. There was an opening and she took it, leaping into the air as she stepped, the speed carried her up until her wings snapped up and she poured on the speed more. Streaking past me and the flock. She slowed and came back to us and I made my way back up. We all looked at her in awe. Well except for me. I'm still trying to process what she said before.

"who wants to go to a hotel?" she asked brightly. They kept on staring. The speed must of astounded them, or what she said beforehand. Um, the latter I think. It astounded me too. She had her uh oh expression on. Well, if I was her I would have pure disbelief. But this is Max we are talking about. _my _Max. well not really but I would like to think she was. We headed towards the town and quickly spotted a hotel. We needed to get out of the air fast before the remaining Erasers caught up to us. We put on our windbreakers after a running landing. The windbreakers were new, thanks to the Max Ride card and we didn't look as grubby as we did in our old ones.

After making sure no ones wings showed, Max led the way into the bright warm lobby.

The guy at the desk looked about seventeen and grinned as he checked Max out. I gritted my teeth and watched Max as she noticed this. Her jaw tightened but her face relaxed into a convincing polite smile. She was such a good liar. Even this slight smile lightened her face and made her even more breathtaking, grubby as she was. He stood up taller and winked lazily at her.

"How many beds do your rooms have?" Max queried in a polite and cheery voice. He grinned wider, and here I was thinking his cheeks couldn't stretch any more.

"well, we have rooms 49,50 and 51 available. 49 has two single beds, 50 has a queen and a single, 51 has a queen. All have their own bathroom sets. But if you were looking for a more comfortable arrangement miss, I could always fix you something up…" he trailed off suggestively and I clenched my fists in my pockets. What a sleaze. Max seemed to have a similar assessment of him in her own mind but I bet it was a lot more colorful than mine.

"those rooms will be just fine, thanks." she coolly stated. He seemed a little disappointed but typed away on the computer happily enough. She swiped her card and I saw her resist the urge to punch his head in when he 'accidentally' brushed his hand against hers. He scribbled a number down on the receipt when she wasn't looking and gave it to her along with the keys. I nudged her inconspicuously and her eyes widened as she saw the number scrawled along the bottom. In plain sight she scrunched the receipt up and along with some other rubbish, threw it in the bin. He seemed unperturbed and called her back over.

"Uh, miss, I think you are forgetting something" he drawled confidently. I. was. Going. To. Kill. him. He handed her his number again and she lay it on the desk in front of him

"no, I don't think I did." her voice was annoyed now and I could see her fingers twitch slightly. She wanted to kill him too, hopefully.

"yup, you did, you forgot my number, your going to need a little fun once you've ditched this lot" that hit a nerve. Her eyes flashed again and I was at her side in an instant. We didn't need a scene here I chanted to myself over and over. I shook my hair out my eyes and gave him the death look.

"I think she's made it pretty clear she's not interested." I snapped at him. He drew back and glared right back at me.

"and who are you?" please, please, please, Max, go along with this.

"I'm her boyfriend. What's it to you?" I spat back. I felt her freeze in surprise while the rest of the flock looked up at me in shock. To my relief, she played along. She put a hand on my chest and faced me, pushing me back slightly, leaning her full length against me, pushing me back more. I brought my arms around her and continued glowering at him. We should be actors.

"come on Nick, lets just go to the rooms now." she soothed, grabbing my hand and pulling me away, her eyes flashed dangerously and I knew I would have hell to pay later. I gave the death glare again and followed her, putting an arm around her waist protectively.

"there is no way that you are going out with _him._" he snarled. I was about to turn around and really punch his lights out but Max held the hand on her side firmly.

"leave it." she growled. The rest of the flock warily followed us, knowing that they might need to disappear when we were alone. I removed my arm as soon as we were out of sight, when Max is angry, you don't leave any openings. that's when she rounded on me. She pushed me up against the wall and held me there with her forearm, making me look at her. If only she knew how cute she was when she was angry. Man, I wanted to kiss her so bad. I should be the one pressing her up against the wall.

"what are you on!? The last thing we need while on the run is you getting into a fight with some random who is not getting the message!" notice how she didn't yell at me for saying I was her boyfriend? I did.

"you didn't like him hitting on you" I mumbled, knowing it was a pathetic excuse.

" I don't like a lot of things Fang." she stated and then she released me. I stayed where she left me and watched her as she tried to sort out sleeping arrangements. She was so graceful, even when she wasn't moving. Elegant. I don't know. It's hard to explain.

"ok, who wants to share with who?" she asked, glancing around. "we need two pairs and a group of three." Ig and Gazzy instantly paired up and Nudge and Angel did the same. Which left me, Max and Blaze. Great. Max sent the kids to their rooms to get cleaned up for dinner and the three of us inspected our own. It was a fair size, a single bed on one side and the queen on the other. Oh. Shit. Two beds, three people. Little bit of an issue.

Blaze volunteered for the single seeing as she had a much higher temperature than us and was likely to set the bed on fire if touched. Not needed at the present moment. Which left me and Max to share the queen, it started to look a lot smaller than it really is.

Max dibsed the shower first.

After my shower I inspected my tiny array of clothes for some that were cleaner than the rest. It was all black but mud really does show on some things. My only options was my black muscle singlet and black shorts. I would have to wear my shorts to sleep in seeing as it was a bed, not the forest floor, jeans were definitely out for. The shower was excellent but Max was thumping on the door soon enough

"Fang, get out now. Blaze needs a shower too!!" she hollered through the door. I opened it as she was knocking and she turned red as she hit me.

'sorry" she mumbled to the floor. Strange. Was she feeling ok?

She sat back on the bed, stretching her wings out to dry and pointed to a menu on the table. She grinned.

"Room service!"

I chuckled and picked it up. Looking through my options.

After we ate, the flock tapped and stacked fists, everyone leaving to their respective rooms. Nudge and Angel were sharing a double bed too. Ig and Gazzy had a single bed each.

Blaze volunteered to watch for the first time and we nodded. Me, Max and Ig did sort of need a break.

"I'm going to sit on the roof for awhile." I informed Max, she always needed to know where we were. On the roof I looked up at the stars. They twinkled back at me. What was Max talking about before? 'I do love him'. was she talking about me? To the voice? Argh. Why was everything so confusing?! Well, one thing wasn't confusing, how I felt about Max. I love her. I don't just love her but I'm in love with her. And she possibly loved me? I don't know. I went back in through the window and found Max fast asleep on the chair next to it. She had been watching for me? I picked her up carefully and put her in the bed. She was so cold. Blaze was staring out the window. I slipped into the bed next to her and lay on my back, staring up at the ceiling. 'I do love him' what did she mean? I fell asleep quickly and found myself in a strange dream.

_Me and Max were in a snowy place and she was unconscious and we were in a dark cave. She was so cold her lips and fingers were blue. I picked her up and held her to my chest, wrapping my wings around us both. Whispers sounded the approach of Erasers. I tightened my hold and covered us both with my wings more securely, becoming completely still. My invisibility came and it covered her as my wings did… the whispering got louder…_

Iggy POV

In the morning we went into Max's room only to find her and Fang weren't up yet. Fang was on his side with his arms around Max and her pressed into his chest. Both lying on one of his wings with the other over her, like a shield. She was facing him and his head was resting on top of hers. Well that's a cozy couple. I doubt Max knows her position actually. Since Blaze gave me my eyesight back, I can see what I heard before. Fang was in love with Max.

Ha! I knew it!

"Awwww that's so cute!! Are they like together now or what?!?! It would be cool if they were, then Fang would be like our dad! That would be awesome!" nudge started but one look silenced her. Fang wanted this. He deserved it. Nudges beautiful brown eyes glinted mischievously back at me. Wait. Beautiful? Where did that come from?

A/N

Well? Should I continue? I have a few ideas. I need some reviews before I add more. Please, I will face the flames but keep in mind this is my first Fanfic. Sorry it took so long but I was really busy but we are back on track.

Tia


	8. Complications

Max's POV

I woke up surprisingly warm and comfortable. Safe even. Last night the bad dreams had failed to show up, instead, my head stayed blissfully empty. I didn't dream at all! I stretched slightly and weight around my shoulders and pressure over me made me tense and freeze. Something or someone was holding me and covering me. My eyes flew open in shock and I was about to get down to some serious ass kicking when I found I was staring at a black cloth. My first thought was the black bags with the sleeping solution in them. But then, it was too light and it was moving. Black… moving…… oh! It all came rushing back to me. We were at a hotel and there wasn't enough beds, me sharing with Fang. OH! I was staring at Fang! Fang's chest to be precise. But that still doesn't explain the whole, Fang's arms wrapped around me, us both laying on one wing, the other wing over us, head on his chest situation. That must be kind of un-comfortable. Fang was still asleep with his chin resting on the top of my head. All of us were exhausted, it wouldn't hurt to let him sleep some more.

I slowly put my head back down on his arm. Wow. I could really get use to this. NO! bad Max! Bad Max! you do not think like that!

_Glad to see your accepting your feelings, but before you interrupt me, its still dangerous. Remember that. The school should not be able to figure it out completely. Do NOT let them figure it out._

Yeah, yeah. Tell me later. I'm still tired and won't really listen to you anyway. I closed my eyes and drifted a little. I wasn't really asleep but it was still restful. I heard the door open and close but the quiet footsteps told me it was the flock. I pretended to be asleep and it worked. Turns out Nudge came in. I wasn't really asleep but all I caught was some mumbo jumbo about 'cute' and 'together'. knowing Nudge it could be anything at all. Fang shifted slightly as the whispers woke him up a bit, moving his wing. The cold air that whooshed in was exactly that, freaking freezing!! I turned my face into his shoulder and ducked my head under his chin. "Mmph!" was my oh so coherent complaint. I kept my eyes closed do I could only hear the giggling. "Go away!" I mumbled sleepily. They scurried out rather fast and I opened my eyes slightly to see Fang giving the best death glare at the closing door.

He put his wing back over properly and pulled me in closer. The cold draft was completely gone. I could feel Fang's body and heat from the tips of my toes and the top of my head, covering me in a cloak of security. For the time being. It was so good.

"Mmph goo." well that worked well. My thanks was muffled by his neck and sounded like, well, I don't even know what that sounded like.

"you're half asleep Max." Fang murmured in my ear, chuckling. "well, maybe a little more than half." he added as an after thought.

Pfft. If I was even half awake I would have hit him on the head for that. As if I wouldn't say thank you if I was awake. You know, they have never tried this at the school, let us sleep in the same room and I would sleep through anything. I inhaled deeply and breathed in the woodsy Fang scent. Opening my eyes slowly, I once again found myself staring at Fang's chest. He has some serious muscles. Stop it! I forbid you to think about that sort of stuff.

_Hate to say I told you so. You're head over heels._

One more word from you and I will make sure you wished that you never invaded my head!

_Are you aware that to get me, you hurt your self?_

Ooh! If I knew who and where you are, you would be curled up in a little ball of pain. Ha! That shut him up.

I shook my head slightly and stretched fully. Fang's wing was gone so quick that if I hadn't woken up before, I would never of known it was there. Sitting up, I saw the flock all sitting or standing, watching. A smirk was on every single face. Oh God. I'm screwed now. The mischievous glint in both Nudge's and Angel's eyes was scaring me. a lot.

Fang's POV

Oh no. She is going to KILL me. Turns out that it wasn't just in my dream that I was holding Max against me and wrapping my wings around her. Yeah. She is going to go prey-mantis on me.. Better enjoy this while I can though. I look down at her. The dark circles under her eyes have faded a little, even when they were there they didn't do anything to fade her beauty. Max didn't know how beautiful she was. She would call me a sexist pig for even thinking it. She stretched a little before her eyes snapped open and she completely froze. I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep. Peeping out at her she looked REALLY confused. Her eyes raked over my arms and then wings before she scrutinized my face. Her eyes softened and she deliberated for a second before laying her head back down on my upper arm. A small smile tugged at the edge of her lips before she closed her eyes and started to doze again. She didn't care?!?! Hope filled me and I felt like everything wasn't such a huge mess.

The door opened and Nudge and Iggy waltzed in. Nudge's eyes went a whole lot bigger than usual and she opened her mouth……..and started to talk. Hold the phone. Cute together? What the hell? Oh. She meant me and Max. well that wasn't happening. Max would go nutso. So was I actually, my ears were bleeding. I moved so I could look at them properly and my wing pulled back, exposing Max slightly.

"Mmph!" Max exclaimed. Her head ducked under my chin and nestled into my neck as she tensed while the cold air crept under my wing. She is asleep Fang. She doesn't know what she is doing. don't Fang. Fang. She is asleep and getting cold, she does not know she is snuggling into you. I chanted in my head while her face pressed against my shoulder, meaning her lips were as well. It was pure heaven. Thank God Angel wasn't here.

"go away." Max murmured. Her words were slurred and I barely heard her. She was still asleep, well, as close as she ever got to real sleep. I glared at them both and the got the hint instantly. 'leave now if you wish to live'. They flew out the door, not literally, and I heard them go into Angel's room to get her. Great. I pulled my wing back over her and drew her into me closer, so she would be warmer of course. Not just because I wanted her as close as possible. As if. Dang. I suck at lying to myself.

"Mmph goo." she mumbled something unintelligible. Uh, I take that as a thank you?

I leaned my head closer to hers and inhaled her sweet cinnamon scent. It was intoxicating.

"you're half asleep Max." I whispered to her, my mouth right above her ear. "well, maybe a little more than half." I added. She would not allow this if she was even half awake.

The faint line of 'yeah right' twitched her eyebrows but she was still too deeply gone to say anything. I stared at her face taking in every feature I had grown up loving. I had always felt more than brotherly love for her. I can't remember not loving her. She was like the missing puzzle piece that you search so hard for.

My musings were interrupted when she opened her eyes slowly and looked at me. I was caught up in her eyes, the way they were like melted chocolate and seemed to see right through me, into my very heart and soul. God, she was beautiful. I was suddenly aware of the flock's presence. Very conscious of the fact I was holding Max to me and staring into her eyes like my life depended on it, I let my wing drop and watched as she swiveled her head and took in the smug faces. Her eyes took on a horrified look. She knew she would never hear the end of this. Especially since Ig could see it now.

She sat up and leaned against my chest as she looked at the flock still. Someone had left the door open, thank God my wing was back behind me, the guy from last night walked past. His eyes were glued to the inside of our room and I snaked my arms around her and pulled her back more. She saw him too and like the good liar she is, she put her little hands on my arms so they couldn't go anywhere. Well. that's what it looked like to him. He grimaced but kept on walking. Ha. Teach him to flirt with my Max. wait. No. not mine. She is her own, she holds me at an arms length away. Always.

I realized that I had been thinking for about five minutes. The flock was looking at me funny while Angel was giggling so hard that tears were leaking out her eyes. Oops. Max had made no move, not even her hands had left my arms, still leaning back against my chest. It felt perfect, not the flock staring part but her still leaning against me. A warm blush was creeping up her cheeks and she let her hands drop, my signal to let go. I did reluctantly and she stood quickly.

"Ok guys, we are goi-" she started but was cut off by Nudge. Great.

"Max, can we go to the mall? We need more clothes and one extra set wouldn't be too much weight. Please Max, can we go? Please?" Nudge said all this in one breath, pulling out the puppy dog eyes. Max was such a sucker for those.

"fine. One pair of pants, one shirt, one jumper and a pair of shoes. Gazzy, you need to get more boxers, superman isn't your favorite anymore." she sighed. Gazzy blushed. He liked radio-active man now, figures. We checked out and headed for the closest mall.. It was enormous!!

I won't bore you with the specifics but me and Max ended up with a pair of sturdy jeans each and some new sneakers that looked like they could withstand fighting. Everyone else had fun. Me and Max were twitchy because of the amount of people and small spaces. When we finally left, it was lunch time. Well for us it was anyway. We inhaled our food like the savages we were and took off again, heading south.

Before long, I heard the telltale humming of approaching flyboys. We spun around and confronted the group.

"you cannot escape, resistance is futile" they droned and came at us.

We fought as we always fought. Round house kicks, punches and mind controlling every where. Not to mention Nudge pulled them apart with her metal attraction. Little explosions alerted us to watch out for where Iggy and Gasman were fighting. A small gasp of pain made me look as Max took a kick to the gut and dropped a few feet. It hurt to watch and I wanted to shred the culprit.

My attention was diverted and as the flyboy kicked me and I started to plummet, I was vaguely aware of frantic shouting, calling my name. The river rushed up to meet me and as I was dragged into its shadowy depths, I saw a dark shape block the sun. The sun's light made a golden aura around Max's silhouette as she swooped down among the trees. She looked like an angel. My Guardian Angel. Her beautiful features were distorted with worry and she reached down toward me.

I tried to fight the current that was throwing and dragging me but its cruel fingers never relinquished its grip. My nose briefly broke the surface and I gasped in as much air as I could before I was pulled back under, smashing against the rocks in the river bed. My wings were still unfurled and I felt as though they were being torn off. My lungs screamed for more oxygen and I could feel consciousness slipping away. Great, I was going to die via drowning. Kicking and screaming was my preference, fighting tooth and nail. Soundless screaming of course. Rather this then while under the knife. Really I didn't want to die at all. If you get my drift. Just before I succumbed to the darkness waiting to envelop me, a pair of warm, small hands stopped my washing machine spin and lifted me out into the blistering cold wind. Then I felt myself being hugged to someone's chest and rising up. Then, oh joy, blank, blank, blank. Nothingness. Well this complicates things.


	9. Revelations

**Max's POV**

**Not good! Really not good! Damn it!! I took a kick to the gut and dropped a few feet, exhaling sharply in surprise. Fang's head snapped up and he stared at me for a moment. His opponent took his momentary distraction and kicked him at the base of his spine. He was temporarily frozen in surprise and he plummeted. I started streaking downwards, trying to locate him in the tree branches. My heart dropped as I saw him bobbing along in the rushing river. His wings streamed along behind him and he tried to fight the current.**

**I reached down to him, as if I could stretch the extra difference and pluck him out of the cruel river. He carried on going, disappearing under the surface momentarily, then coming back up, gasping for breath. Anger came fast. How dare they put him in danger like this. I swooped down again, pouring on the speed and managed to grab him. I held him to my chest and arced up trying to gain as much altitude as possible with the extra weight. I could feel his heart beat and his shallow breathing, he was just knocked out, no need to panic. Pull yourself together. Smoking bits were all that remained of the flyboys when I made it back to flock height. They were fairly tired but completely unharmed, thank God. Using one hand, I pulled Fang's wings back in and pushed his hair off his face. Jeez, he was burning up!! Might this just be the new power that the voice promised kicking in?? I didn't care. I wanted it gone!**

**We made a messy landing and I laid Fang down gently. His fever was still high but less than before. Fast healing? Oh! This is so confusing! I'm worried because he is part of my flock but I'm extra worried because I might be, possibly, in…….love with him. Maybe. Slim chance. Jeez I hate this mushy gushy stuff. Iggy put a pale hand on Fang's forehead and then on his arm. His eyebrows drew together anxiously. **

"**He is burning up but his temperature is dropping really fast." he explained quietly. My heart leapt to my throat and I closed my eyes briefly. He's ok Max. calm.**

**His eyes flickered and I almost cried in relief. Almost, but not quite. The invincible Max Ride does not cry that easily. Ok, I completely blew it, I threw my arms around him hugged him fiercely to me. "Don't you ever do that to me again, Fang." I hissed between my teeth. His arms crept around me and then suddenly I couldn't breath right. His arms locked around me, crushing me to him.**

"**I love you Max." he whispered in my ear. My brain short circuited and I froze in surprise. He buried his head in my shoulder, hiding his face.**

"**I love you too Fang" I whispered just as quietly. I don't know what made me do it but it just clicked then. Fang loved me as a person, as Max. Not just because I was the Invincible Maximum Ride, or the white coat's headache, but because I was me. As I loved him. The valium incident, just my subconscious trying to get it out, out while the mental wall I had set around it was down. I had always known it but just didn't accept it. I love Fang.**

**His fingers found my chin and he tilted my head up to his. Every sensible thought flew out the window and I focused on breathing through my nose. Inhale, exhale. His lips moved against mine softly but with determination, one hand intwined in my hair while the other cupped my cheek. It was….heaven. He pulled away, resting his forehead on mine, breathing coming I ragged pants. His eyes were full of emotion, fear was the most dominent. **

"**Is this the part where you take off?" he mumbled. Looking back down. I smiled and shook my head.**

"**Nope, this is the part where I kiss you!" I whispered back. I leant forward again, his lips meet mine and I intwined both my hands in his hair at the back of his neck, one of his found my waist. I could hear shocked gasps from the flock and giggling that was unmistakably Nudges. Oops. I had forgotten about them.**


	10. Ice Cold and Deadly

Fang POV

I came round faintly to soft hands cupping my face, and fingers, light as butterfly wings on my forehead. Whaaa?? Oh yeah. River, drowning. I opened my eyes and looked straight into Max's worried brown ones. They widened slightly before all I could see was her hair. She threw her arms around my neck and basically growled at me.

"Don't you ever do that to me again, Fang." Her eyes were wet and a single tear escaped. My Max… Max… I slowly started to put my arms around her. Oh, what the heck. I tightened my arms to her and held her to me like a lifeline. I could feel her along every line of my body. "I love you Max." I whispered to her. She froze completely and I ducked my head, resting it in her shoulder where she couldn't see me. I loved her, I know I did. But she didn't love me. She was too good for me, she was perfect and beautiful and kind, strong and everything else. She was too good for anyone, let alone me.

"I love you too Fang." she murmured into my ear. Say whaaa?? She did not…. did she?? Oh. I get it now. I had drowned. I'm in heaven, I'm dead. Well that explains a lot. Well, if I am dead, I might as well as enjoy it. I lifted her chin up with my fingers and gently brought my lips to hers. I entwined one hand in her beautiful hair and cupped her cheek with the other, tilting my head to deepen the kiss. She kissed back and I was soaring, not literally. Being dead wasn't half bad. _Fang, you're not dead. _Angel giggled in my head. Oh. Shit. Wait! She kissed me in real life??

I pulled away and rested my head against her forehead, catching my breath. I met her eyes, at some point her actions were going to catch up to her and she was going to take off. With another piece of my heart in tatters. "Is this the part where you take off?" I asked fearfully. The flock was listening intently, they didn't know the whole story. Except for Iggy.

"Nope, this is the part where I kiss you!" she whispered back. Like whispering helped with the flocks keen ears. She leaned into me and it was like an electric current passed between us. Her hands went behind my head in my hair and I left one of mine in her hair, taking the other down to her waist, pulling her in closer.

Giggling made her pull away and saw the universal 'Oh shite, I forgot about them' expression slip into place faster than Nudge can say 'I'm hungry'. I pulled her to me again, hugging her close. She leant into me and closed her eyes briefly before I saw her go into leader mode. She stood quickly and faced the now hysterical Flock with her hands on her hips. Her death glare was mainly fixed on Iggy. I could see that sick mind of his thinking up innuendos. She raised her eyebrows and the flocks breathless laughter subsided into the occasional hiccup. Under her stern expression they were unusually calm. She shook her head and then took off up into the sky, with one powerful sweep of her wings. She beckoned and we all one by one took running leaps, unfurling our wings. In the air she smiled and we all started to swoop and twirl around each other, in-air ballet even. We practiced this incase of attack. She angled herself to a town and we swooped after her.

As we landed in an ally she threw as our new clothes and ordered us into a toilet to get changed and cleaned up. We emerged a little cleaner than before and I almost gasped. She had jeans on and a tight top that accentuated her waist and hugged her figure. Her wings out and the setting sun behind her made her once again look like an angel. She quirked an eyebrow and pulled her wings in, throwing on her new hoodie, un zipped but covering her wings. We all had them now. We hiked into a nearby hotel and she sent us to our rooms while she went and found a grocery store, leaving me in charge. As her figure was swallowed by the increasing darkness, I began to feel un easy and I told Iggy to watch over the kids with Blaze. Taking to the sky, I scanned the ground below, trying to find her. I finally saw her, in another ally. There was a group of big guys, blocking her in. she couldn't risk using her wings and she was backing into a dead end. He didn't want to hurt them, yet. I landed not too far off and ran to where she was. The guys backs were to me and crept up to them, staying silent. As I stopped I felt my invisibility slip on. I stepped forward again and the sensation remained, I was moving while invisible. I snuck around them and stood in front of Max, letting the invisibility slide away. They looked shocked and then I saw well practiced glowers slip into place.

"Step aside little dude. I don't care if she is yours or not. She going to be ours for the night," he growled meanly at me. Max hissed slightly and could feel 'sexist pig' vibes coming off her. I narrowed my eyes and stared back at him. He shrank back and I wondered what I looked like.

"I'm sorry but I don't think she is interested in listening to you." I snarled at him. I sounded deadly and he raised his hand as if to hit her. I lost it completely and threw myself at him. Ending up with his face smashed into the ground and his arm twisted behind him.

"get out of here before I cause you a real injury. I will kill you if you touch her." I snarled again. Wrenching myself up, I turned back to her and leaned against the wall, listening to them scrambling away. She was looking over me in the way I had come to recognize as the searching-for-injuries-and-reasons-to-fuss way. I shook my hair out my eyes and smiled briefly, watching her grin in return. She was awesome.


	11. God Damned Desert

**Max POV**

**One of the upsides of being a DNA recombinant experiment I have to say is the wings. Yeah, they made us stand out and never fir in anywhere but really, the 'normal' lifestyle just doesn't really appeal to me. I tried the whole school and education road. Not so hot. Plus Fang had girls all clambering over him, making doe eyes, basically **_**drooling **_**over him. Not that I really care. They might be enemies.**

_**And the fact that your face should be jade green, you're so jealous.**_

**Uh huh. that's funny. Me. Maximum Ride. Jealous. Yeah right, you're hilarious.**

**But the freedom of flying is just, well, great. I can soar away from any danger. Unless its in the sky also, that's when your screwed. That is also when my super flying and kick-ass fighting comes in handy. Now, I bet that no-one out there apart from my Flock could say that. I loved fling, and out here where the sun-baked ground was the same for miles around and uniformly flat? perfect. The sky had no clouds and I could see approaching enemies miles away.**

"**Max?" Nudge piped up. 5 bucks says she's hungry.**

"**Yeah, sweetie?" I replied. My usual, nothing to give me away.**

"**I'm hungry" there it is! I'm 5 bucks richer. Downside to uniformly flat and hot desert? No people, therefore, no fast-food restaurant. I groaned internally. Looks like desert rat.**

"**I know sweetie. We'll just find a place to stop."**

**I checked up on the whole flock again, my routine while we fly.**

**To my right was Fang, tall dark and dare I say it, handsome?? He was flying strongly, not an ounce of effort, glide through the air, silent as a shadow. To my left was Ig. Iggy was gazing at the landscape in amazement, one of the reasons I chose to go over the desert, the scenic route. Nudge was behind him, talking animatedly to Blaze, who was behind Fang. Nudge was shouting a little because Blaze's huge wingspan wouldn't allow her any closer than she was. One wing equaled Angel's ENTIRE wingspan. Blaze was a strange kid. Angel was scanning the ground below for anything she could convince to commit suicide and become our dinner. At least, that is what I hope she's doing. She could keep a dust bunny, not a real one.**

**Up ahead was a promising looking dip and I angled myself down towards it. The sun was sinking below the horizon and I wanted to go to sleep. It had been a long 8 hours.**

**Later on the night, I sandstorm whipped through our little camp. Fang gripped my jacket but the howling wind tore me from it and I hurtled out into the sand and desert, the wind carrying me along like the sand that grazed my face and hands.**

**Fang's POV**

**Max was missing, the sand storm had separated her from us, from me. All I had left was her back pack and jacket. What I had been clutching, keeping her from blowing away. The deceptively calm plain around us had a haze and no tall, slim figure was in sight. Max, where are you?**

"**Fang, what are you doing?" Iggy piped up nervously. The whole flock was silent, watching me anxiously as I whirled around, gathering up the first aid kit and food. I was going to find Max, even if it was the last thing I did.**

"**I'm finding Max" I didn't want to speak. The mask was cracking. The strain was shining through. My Max was out there, she could be captured, she could be hurt. Agony ripped through me, she could be dead.**

"**she will find her back to us. She always does. It would be best to wait here for her." Iggy soothed. The only soothing that ever works on me was Max's. no-one else.**

"**Iggy, she is out there. This place all looks the same wherever you are. She could be lost for days, hurt or captured. I'm not letting her die out there" that was the most they had probably ever heard me say in a long time.**

"**exactly. You might get lost trying to find her. If she IS hurt, she will hunker down while she heals and then find us. We will stay right here. ALL of us." Iggy's voice took on a new edge, a commanding edge. He was trying to tell me what to do. I spun around and faced him, letting the mask slide off. Ice and venom dripping from my voice and striking fear into the younger kids eyes. He was taller than me but I was full of pent up rage and worry. He shrank back under my glare and looked as if I had just stabbed him.**

"**Iggy. I will find her, dead or alive. I WILL find her and I WILL bring her back. I don't care if it takes a day or a week. Is she wont let me have her, no-one and nothing will. Not even this god-damned desert" I took off the moment I finished.**

"**stay here incase you're right." I hollered back to them, standing just as they had before. I'm coming Max. I went as fast as I could, skimming close to the ground, scanning the landscape trying to find something, anything, a flash of blond-streaked hair, white and tan wings, heck even a feather. My Max was lost….**


	12. Falling

Max POV

I woke up half buried in sand, in some other part of the desert. Standing up, my right wing hung limply at my side, throbbing, burning pain. In the sandstorm, the wind had unfurled my wings and proceeded to try and rip them off. I couldn't even bring it back in. I tried moving it but that just sent waves of pain through me and almost brought me to my knees. I let myself whimper. There was no-one here to hear me. It was unlike any physical pain I had felt before. I knew it wasn't broken, but the way it hung told me it was dislocated. Long story short, a whole lot of pain and no flying. That was only problem number one. Problem number two? No flock in sight, no water and no food. My throat felt like it had been sand papered. Funny that. There was sand in my eyes, nose, ears, mouth and clothes. There was sand all around me too, looking exactly the same in every direction. Helpfull. I had to find my flock. Even if I had to search on foot. But I didn't know what direction they were in, even my super navigational skills were crapped out and full of sand.  
'Think of Fang, Max. Think of how he needs you, how you need him'  
And that's going to help me how? 'Just trust me'  
How about a day after never and when hell freezes over?? I offered sarcastically, snorting in disbelief. This voice was insane. Like I would trust it. Then I must be insane too, I do hear voices in my head.  
'Not voices Max, just the one. Forever stubborn. Atleast look after your wounds, even if you won't think of who loves you'  
My wing is fine. Buzz off!

The voice retaliated with an instant headache. Now I was lost, annoyed AND had a headache. Just wonderfull. At least the voice left me alone. I scanned the area again, noticing a suspicous looking dust cloud on my left, growing larger. Something warm and sticky dripped down my face as I tried to make out the cause of the rising dust. Putting my hand to my head, bright blood adorned my fingers as I looked at my hand with curiousity. Now I stopped concentrating on my wing, new pains made themselves known. I decided to listen to the voice and I looked down at my legs. My jeans had various rips and holes, some with blood, some without, all in varying sizes. Feathers littered the ground around my feet, I noticed with dismay that some were primary flight feathers. Blood was on the ground too, staining the sand and colouring some of the feathers red. A myriad of scrapes and cuts covered my arms and bruises were beginning to take over. Wow. I sure got thrown around a bit. My shirt was just at bad as my jeans and I noticed a small stick, poking out of my side. I closed my fist around and it and swiftly pulled it from my side, it was only a very shallow wound. Nothing too major. I dropped the stick at my feet and turned back to the dust cloud. It was so close now. Flyboys, about 40 of them, were all coming straight for me. I just love my life. I dropped into a painfull crouch and ripped the flare of my jeans off each leg and tied them to form a wide length of bandage. I winced as I lifted my wing up and bound it higher up on my back where it couldn't get in the way. My eyes watered and my wing hurt like nobodies business. But I just couldn't fight with it hanging like that. As I turned to the flyboys, shifting into battle mode and taking up a painful fighting stance, they arrived at my crash site. I fought as hard as I could, taking some hits to my ribs, I even heard some of them breaking. I took down about 8 flyboys when one of them pulled out a dart gun and I fell to the ground, my conciousness slipping away. I felt my self being dragged and then stuffed into a bag. Then I couldn't move. I could see and hear, but couldn't control anything else. Looks like they had a new sedative. The rocking of my captives mechanical walk was making me nautious and the claustrophobia was setting in. I wanted to be free, I wanted to see my flock and I wanted Fang...

Fang's POV

I kept flying, never stopping. My fear and love spurring me on. With every beat, my heart seemed to say her name over and over. Max.. Max.. Max.. I had to find her, but maybe I shouldn't have left the flock..I felt bad for turning on Iggy like that, but he didn't understand, None of them did. I needed Max like I needed to breath, like the earth needed the sun to grow and sustain each day. I loved her with every fibre on my being and I simply couldn't live without her. My mask was broken and I needed to fix it. The flock wouldn't recognise my face now. My emotions were as plain as the nose on my face. I was flying in larger and larger circles from the center of the desert, widening my circle with every circuit. On the west side, I saw what I dreaded, flyboy bodies. I swooped down and landed on the edge of the dip. Amoung the 9 flyboy bodies and destroyed parts were bloodstains. My own blood ran cold as I saw feathers, stained red with blood and far too many of them. I kept searched and with every new find, my heart sank further and further. There were boot marks and I could recognise the marks of certain moves Max had done. But It was all wrong. Why didn't she fly away when she had the chance. I studied the foot prints harder. Max had been favouring her right side. She was hurt. I felt tears coming to my eyes. I had cried more in these past few days then I had in my entire life.

I picked up one of the feathers, a large primary. Our main flight feathers. Hers, streaked with black and white, were all over the ground here. I fell to my knees, letting the misery consume me. I opened my eyes and saw the drag marks. They had taken her with them. I leapt to my feet as I heard shouting and looked up to see the flock. I swiftly wiped away the tears. I was Fang, I was the strong one. I was strong for them. For Max.  
They took in the scene and their own eyes widened in horror and the blood and feathers, all of which could only be Max's. Blaze's eyes bored into my mind, and she seemed to see right through my facade. Six successive shots sounded quickly and numbness took over as we all fell like feathery rocks, eyes wide with shock but unable to control our bodies anymore. They had found us.

Did you know there was a compound smack bang in the middle of the desert? Well, you do now. We were all taken into a windowless room, hardly big enough for two of us, let alone six. I had scanned every single cell we were led past, peering through the bars of every single door, none of them had Max in them. Some contained other mutant children. In the end one with a kid, a boy no older than Gazzy. He was covered in gold and red scales, occasionally emitting a small flame from his nose. He sat in the corner, arms around his knees looking fearfully at us. He was right across from us. Then he spotted Blaze. His eyes widened and he leapt to his feet. Small batlike wings flared out his he almost tripped and he ran to his door, grinning at Blaze like a Cheshire Cat. I couldn't concentrate, I was waiting for them to bring Max back. They must have her. They must. But through my misery, I saw something. Blaze and the boy.. looked similar. They had the same colour hair and eyes, same sort of build. The little boy ran back and pulled something off his cell wall, running back to the door he threw it to Blaze who caught it and studied it. We peered over her shoulder and gasped. It was a photo of a kind eyed woman, the spitting image of Blaze, but with blue eyes and a tall man who had Blazes smile. In her arms was a small girl with light brown hair with blonde streaks, red-gold eyes and Blaze. The woman was pregnant, but that wasn't what made Blaze hiss with distaste, the man was a white coat. He had done this to his own Children. Blaze threw the picture back and blew a small fire to the boy. Her brother. He caught it with delight and sat down at the cell door, playing fire ball tennis with Blaze. How could they be so happy. Max was gone. I needed her. But she wasn't here. I found myself asking WWMD? What would Max do? We had to escape and find her. Before it was too late.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor and Blaze's brother leapt up, hiding in his corner again. We stood, our toughest faces on and our fists clenched. Let the come, I was going to rip them to shreds. A white coat stopped at our door and looked at us with sad eyes. He wore a funky head peice but we knew that they stopped Angel reading their minds. They were getting smarter. But not smart enough to out wit Max. My beautiful Max.

"Come, we have much to discuss and something to show you. Something of a dreadful nature" He intoned this all in a sad, discouraged voice. Good actor. But Blaze suprised us the most. She strode right up to the door and pointed to lizard boy. "Not without Flare!" So that was his name.. the white coat shrugged and opened Flares cell door, Flare stood up, looking like he was trying to sink into the floor and vanish. But he walked with dignity, wincing at the death grip the white coat had on his upper arm. He opened our cell door and threw Flare to Blaze, who caught him and held his hand, sheilding him with her body. Before we could jump the white coat, ten flyboys marched in with handcuffs and wing bands. This is getting kind of old. I hated being here, but if it meant I found Max, we could easily escape. Once we were all secured, including little Flare, we were escorted through many winding corridors past doors where bad smells wafted under the doors and horrible crying and wails filled the air. I looked in every one, trying to find Max. I filled with hope at every new door and then sank into hopelessnes when it was empty or contained a mutant gone wrong or some other creature. Then we were led into a room. Five more scientists sat in chairs on one side while a metal table was on the other. I fixed my gaze on the table. It had something on it, but it was covered with a white blanket. Dread filled me and the flock just stared at the table, the blanket, the figure it covered. My ears rang and I couldn't breath right. We did what we were told for once and sat in the chairs, all staring, hardly breathing.

"We found Max in the desert, she put up a huge fight, only as Max can, but our generation of Robots, Generation Q, well, they still need work. They have a slight rage emotion but this can also turn to frustration" The main whitecoat picked up a clipboard and slowly flipped pages, shaking his head slowly. He walked to the table and pulled back the blanket. Nudge, Angel, Gasman and even Iggy broke down into tears. I stared in utter disbelief. Lying on the table, pale and still, was my beautiful Max. I walked disjointedly to the table, my head spinning. One of her wings stuck out at an odd angle, jeans and shirt torn and bloodied. I picked up her arm and found the scar from when her chip was removed by Dr. M. I located every scar she had ever gotten. It was Max, my Max. Cuts and bruises mottled her pale skin, and she was completely still. No.. No.. No.. No.. NO! The tears came thick and fast. Her beautiful body lay broken and bloody, her skin cold. Her eyes open and empty. The light had left them and my reason for living was gone. I collasped forward, hugging her to me, rocking her in my arms, sobbing and repeating "I love you" to her in a fevered whisper. She couldn't be dead.. but she was. The invincible Maximum Ride.. was gone. My world was imploding around me and there was nothing I could do about it. She was gone and she had taken my heart with her. I was falling, falling into blackness..

A/N-  
Don't kill me yet! I don't want any pitchforks and torches, you need to wait. Go with the flow and make sure you read my next chapter! 


	13. Conflict of the Heart

Max POV:

I couldn't believe it, it was torture and it just had to be a dream. Yet I knew it wasn't. The little monitor showed me the flock and 'my' dead body. They were all crying and my flock,my tough little band of heroes don't cry easily. But what disturbed me the most was Fang. He had draped himself over this broken, lifeless cruel imitation of me and sobbed without shame. Fang never cries. It sent physical pain hurtling through me. They were using the mate for life instinct to break him, to take away his spirit. I now as I watched him, I knew they had won. Something inside me snapped and the need to comfort him, my flock, my family flared up, powerfull and fast. I ignored the small boy clinging to Blaze's leg, it didn't matter to me anymore. I couldn't believe I hadn't ackowledged my feelings before. I had been so stupid. God, mushy gushy emotions talk is way off limits, but, I loved Fang. Not as a brother or friend but I was in love with him, as he supposedly loved me. But now he thought I was dead. The whitecoats were quite open with their evil master plan. They disussed it with me as they used a machine to perfectly copy my injuries and old scars. They were going to make Fang give up, and now he would, just as I would had our places been switched.

I paced the room angrily, my bandaged wing taped to my back, useless and frustrating. Not only had I dislocated it, I have broken it in a few places. I ignored the rest of my injuries. They were nothing compared to my aching heart. Ugh, damn emotional talk. I hated the way this place messed with my head. My eyes kept fixing themselves on the tiny screen and watched the sobfest and horror movie, all rolled into to one. I watched as they zoomed the camera in on Fang's face and 'me', insensitive jerks. The glint I had always loved and seen in his eyes faded and then died altogether, like some part of him was dying with 'me'. Seeing his tears was like a fist to the gut. Fang never cries. I closed my eyes briefly and opened them to see my flock being carried or dragged out the room, the man I loved blacking out as he clutched the dead perfect copy of me to his chest as if it were a lifeline. The white coats smiled in satisfaction. My anger ran freely and I punched the wall our of pure frustration. I hated them, I wish they had disapeared with Jeb all those years ago. Foot steps echoes down the corridor and I pulled myself together. I was going to get free and my flock with me, blow this dump. Literally. That was a promise. The door swung open and a young white coat waltzed in, triumph in his eyes.

"Experiment 452, You will come to your room now" I chirped brightly as if announcing I had just won the lottery or something spectacular. I stared at him blankly, boredom and annoyance in every featire and gesture. He sighed impatiently and nodded as two new Eraser models came in and wrestled me out the door. This whole hostage thing sucked big time. I didn'r bother remember the exit route, Fang's empty eyes haunted me. But instead of the dark damp cell or miniture dog cage, I was frog marched to a white painted steel door, bearing the brass nameplate of "Max". I blinked in confusion as they undid about a million locks before opening the door. Well, I couldn't say it wasn't an improvement. The dark purple walls, single bed, lamp and desk was all a bit too homey for yoru average abduction by meglomaniacs. I was prodded in and the door swung shut and the locks al clicked ominously shut. I wasn't getting out that door in a hurry. What were they pplaying at? That is of course when the voice thought he might pop in for a chat for a minute or so.

"Make yourself comfortable Maximum, you are in here fora while."

I was annoyed, but just a tiny bit relieved to hear it in my head again. Only a smidge though. I had finally gone insane I guess.

"We have been through this before, you are NOT insane. But I need to know, do you love Fang?"

I drew back in shock, I was having this conversation with the voice in my head. Yeah I did love him. I really do still. I figured I had already sunk low enough by confessing that, so I just plunged straight on. But now I felt as if I had pushed him away too mnay times, that it was too late. But then, he may still love me after his crying over my dead body.

"Don't worry about that, he still loves you. But, he is not your true soulmate."

What?! 1. The voice was freely giving away information. 2. the voice had stopped telling me Fang was the one, when I knew he absolutely was. It was a wordless exclamation in my mind "!!!!!!" But the voice continued on, ignoring me.

"They have him here. His only purpose is to love and portect you at all costs, be by your side and help you save the world. He was made to complete you. You two were literally made for eachother. He was created at a different branch than you, but he is the same age. They were planning on putting you together from the very beginning, so you two would grow up and be as you and Fang are now, I thought they had and that he was actually Fang. Now I know that the only reason you two were kept apart when you were so volatile and stubborn was because together, you and him are truely dangerous. You would make one dynamic duo and they couldn't risk it, he would be ebhind you the entire way. So they had to wait until you were controlled and contained. Like here for example."

I stood by the door in shock, having not moved an inch. There was someone out there made for me. I sunk to the ground and wrapped my arms around my knees for comfort. I loved Fang and it wasn't about to change. Not if I had anything to do with it. I stood up, stubborn and determined. I studied the room more closely now. Ha, they obviously had hospitality classes, conveniantly missing the kidnapping section. They even provided clothes and shoes, maybe hoping to soften me up. Well, their choice of pink and frills had me as soft as a marshmellow. Note the havy sarcasm. Sometimes I hated my life, this life that was chosen for me. I sighed and continued my circuit. Bed that matched the curtains, minus a window.. Desk.. bookshelf... bean bag.. All and all, a pathetic excuse for a jail cell, a fairly complete teen bedroom. For a birdkid? Not so much. I lay back on the bed.

"Voice?" I tried, wondering if it might answer me and actually respond. Suprisingly so, it came back almost immediately.

"Yes, Maximum?" It replied happily. Perky pain in the..

"What is this other birdkid like? Is there one for all of us?" I didn't think it would answer my questions. It never did. But my stomach churned at the thought of another perfect red-haired wonder.

"His name is Noah. You will know him when you see him, it will be like a blindman seeing the sunset in all it's glory for the first time in hsi life. Most of you have one, yes." The voice had complieed and responded for me. It was like it wanted this to happen. I felt a need to meet this Noah, I knew it was the voice behind that. I wanted to be with Fang. But he thought I was dead. I was alone, but now, no-one knew to rescue me. It was hopeless. I was gone to them, beyond the point of no return.

Fang's POV

It could have been days, weeks, months or years since we were in that room with her. My everything, plucked from existance like she meant nothing at all. After we had been carried and dragged from the steal table that held Max. Our sun and my life. We didn't care where they took us. We just slumped down exactly wear they put us, crying and staring in blank horror. Not seeing the couches, bean bags and beds in this painted and carpeted room. It didn't matter anymore. Max was gone.

I let them do what they wanted to me, as long as they left the flock alone. Experiment after experiment, I didn't even fight when it hurt. I just lay there for them. The flock worried about me, their devastation about Max and their worries about my sanity. I even ignored them now. I didn't want to talk. My soul died with her and my heart ached and throbbed with every single thing that was said or done, anything that reminded me of her. I couldn't even feel my wings anymore. I loved her and they stole her away. They stole everything we had ever loved. They took Jeb away from uus, they took our chances we might have had with our real families, they stole the chikdhood we could have had, the life we could have had and they even stole the closest thing we had to a normal childhood. Now they snatched the life of the girl I love with every fibe of my being.

I was thrown roughly back into our room, furnished and comfy. It Max were here she would say a snappy comeback to them about the room, maybe about they missed the part in hospitality class that suggested you don't kidnap and torture your guests or something similar. Thinking about her hurt and my heart broke into little pieces again. My shoulders slumped and I ghosted over to my black bed, ignoring the new pain they had caused me today. I lay down facing the wall, my back to my forgotten family, there faces hopefull, maybe the thought I was going to talk to them today. I didn't want to talk. I heard them sigh sadly and light footsteps aproach. I let them come right over and sit on the edge of my bed, Iggy.

"Fang, look at me bro" I turned over and faced him, his quiet voice a nice change from the snarls and smug voices of the whitecoats and erasers. He looked like death warmed up. I absently wondered what I looked like. I hadn't eaten or slept since that day.. I knew it was over a week. I didn't really care, I wanted to die too.

"We know you're hurting bad, man. We are too. But Max-" I cut him off with a glare. Why was he doing this to me. I looked back up at him with agonised eyes. I couldn't... I knew he was right.. But.. I couldn't do this anymore.

"It's too hard Ig. I can't keep fighting without her. I love her and I need her, and then they stole her away like they took everything else." I choked off and started to cry. I didn't cry. I was Fang, I couldn't cry, I had to be strong for Max, but Max was gone, gone where I couldn't follow her. I felt myself being hugged from all directions, the flock converging on me, tears streaming down their faces. I had to be strong for them now, like Max had been for them. We had to escape. I still had them to fight for, Iggy, Gasman, Angel, Nudge, Blaze and Flare, I still had to be strong for them. They still needed me. 


	14. Fight for Freedom

_Noah's POV_

_I paced back and forth, waiting for the sound of footsteps, telling me my next victom was on there way. I had it all planned out, I would fly up to the air vent on the ceiling and keep myself flat against that. I already knew that the grate didn't move. When they enter I will jump down and take them from behind, grab the swipe card and leg it out the door. I would be out and flying in no time! I knew this generation of robots didn't know to look up, it should be easy. _

_"It's never that easy Noah... They will evolve the design and then you won't be able to use that again. You need more people to escape, you have tried and tried, but one birdkid can't escape on their own. The flock have 8 members.." I snarled mentally at the voice, the annoying know-it-all. He flitted from my mind to the mind of a girl called Maximum Ride, her name for some reason always sent a thrill down my spine. I had never met this girl yet, I felt as if I did. But in this school, she could have been in a dog crate next to me for all I knew._

_"Can-it voice, save the comments for someone who cares" I could hear footsteps coming down the white sterile corridoors and I prepared to launch myself upwards. But the footsteps were odd, one pair were heavy and clunky, a robot, while the other pair was feather light and graceful, definately not a robot or new experiment. I rushed to the door and peeked through my pathetic excuse for a window, the slit only allowing me to see a small portion of hallway. They would turn round the corner soon, then I would be able to see the owner of these delicate footsteps, ones that by the sound of it, were always on the verge of a battle stance. I liked this person already, even though they might mean to fight me. They turned the corner then, my normal gaurd and another birdkid, a girl who took my breath away. _

_"Noah. Meet Maximum Ride. Or Max, as she insists on my callingher that everytime I try talking to her." Oh, now the voice wanted to be helpful. But.. well.. She looked like the stubborn type. Strong, tall and graceful. She was beautiful, the most beautiful creature I had ever seen in my life, and believe me, the lab I was born in they had serums to make people into supermodels, to "fit in". But these girls, they were pure danger. Max.. wow. It was like the first time they let me fly outside, as the sun rose and I saw it for the first and last time. Now I never got to see the sun. From the age of 5, I was trained. I was taught to fight, use my powers, ones I didn't even know I had, but then they taught me maths and english, science and geography, I had an education. All of my training aided in their research, or it was an experiment. I hated them, but I had to remain here. I couldn't live outside the walls until they removed my chip. The moment I went past the boundry fence, the chip would stop my heart and it would be all over rover for Naoh. I was trapped, but now I didn't mind. I was watching an angel. I faintly heard the hum of of the monitors, meaning They wanted me to watch something but I couldn't take my eyes off her. She glared at the gaurd and if it wasn't so cute, it would've been scary. I smiled to myself and turned away as she entered the room opposite me. I blinked in shock. The monitors showed Max in her room, watching a similar tv. Her hands were clenched into fists and now I saw her from the back, her ivory, brown and black splodged wings were visible. One was bandaged and held up, they had hurt her. Now she was alone, she didn't stand as tall. It showed the injuries she was hiding, the ones she didn't let them see even when they must have hit them. Unexplainable fury coursed through me and I clenched my fists, the urge to hit something over whelmed me and the flimsy little table crunched into splinters in one hit. In that instant I knew and the whitecoats knew that I would protect this stranger, even if it meant I gave my life for hers in the process. _

_I knew that we did have reason to be afraid for our lives though, something I had to protect her from. There was a new idea in the scientists minds. They wanted to take on other science branches, ones that didn't support the 'cause', that endangered the survival of Itex. They made new mutants, the super models to infiltrate, mutants with amazing abilities of manipulating the elements and people. They called those mutants the E.F.E.C. The Elite Force of Elemental Controllers. They could have been more creative with the name, but I suppose it IS Itex... But the E.F.E.C. were lethal. They wanted some of the flock for it too. The mind reader, the one who can control metal and the fire controllers. They would just add to the crushing force they already had. I had trained with them, I knew all of the powers they had so far, battled against them and learnt about them. Some of them wanted nothing to do with the violence Itex had planned, for others, it was all they wanted. The ice twins, Winter and Boreal, were my greatest allies. They were genuine and cared for others, not liking it when they hurt someone in practice. But when it came to defending eachother, or something they loved, they were truly frightening. They both could control water and sculpt it, turn it to ice and manipulate it, but Winter could conjure it out of no where. Storm controlled the weather, she had to always control her temper, as the slightest aggravation could cause a catagory 8 hurricane. But the one I kept well away from was Damien. He could manipulate the earth. Soil, rocks, volcanoes. But he was the most dangerous because he used his powers with hate, wanting to kill and see suffering. I hated him, but going against him would do as much good as it would to walk past the boundry fence._

_A shrill supposed-to-be-sexy-but-epically-failing voice rang out from the corridoor. I groaned in horror and launched myself up, hanging on for grim life. It was Lissa. My door opened and a red-haired teenager strutted in, pushing her non-existent chest out and then stopping dead when my room was seemingly empty. I had an idea and made it look as though I was hanging by my neck, going limp and closing my eyes. She looked up at that instant and saw me, suspended from the ceiling and limp. She screamed and ran out the door, calling for help. I almost burst out laughing, as I watched my would-be seducer fade into a red cloud of hair. I leapt down and lay on my bed, staring back at the screen. Max was pacing in front of the screen, reminding me of myself earlier today. But I wouldn't do that again. I had found a reason for me to stay._

_The New Directors POV_

_"Well? What was his response. I can not risk putting them on the same field if there was any chance of them turning." I turned and waited for my reply. The man quivered infront of me. He was a tool, a useless pawn in my game to gain complete domination. Others before me had failed, but they were trying to destroy the mutants. Now I was helping them, training them and educating them. They would be my weapons, and with them, Itex can continue the by half plan and more.._

_"His was response was most pleasing ma'am. There is no way he will turn, we just have to test the girl." He seemed pleased at his incompetence. Fool. He would be one of the first to die for the cause. But for now he could remain and gather my information. I didn't want to pick another and watch their ego swell and their self importance over take their deal to Itex. I nodded at him and he turned and strode out, pompusly puffing out his chest as if he now knew some great secret plan. The facade may work on them but I saw right through it. I turned back to the monitors covering one wall, watching a cluster of tvs that held our prized possesions. Noah was laying on his bed, staring at his monitor, Max was on the ceiling trying to remove the air vent, we had already made sure those were completely indestructible and could not be moved. The rest of the flock was in the shared room, mostly talking. Fang was laid on his bed, worn out from his training. We basically had free reign with him, he was lifeless and had no fight left in him. But that would all change when he met Ivy. Damien was asleep, my son. He shared my dreams and ambitions, he was the most valuable. The only thing he wanted to do was destroy the world that called him 'freak'. Storm, Winter, Boreal and Ivy were contained outside, where they couldn't harm anyone. Their full time gaurds stationed at every opening. In the grounds was the only place to keep them, but it was so easy to escape. They hadn't been fitted with a chip yet either. They were on maximum security, like a prison. I smiled briefly to myself. I had them all and soon the whole world would be cowering at my feet._

_Max POV_

_This stupid room was Max proof. The grate on the ceiling was securely fixed, only Iggy and Gazzy would have any hope getting their way through. The door had a tiny slit for a window and that was was a door opposite mine that had a brass name plate too, but I could only manage one letter, 'o'. I hated them again. Not that I had ever stopped hating them, but now my flock thought I was dead, and there was no way I could get out of this room on my own. I missed my flock. I love them and I can't see them, make sure they're safe. There's no Iggy and Gazzy to be suspicious about, no Nudge to shut up, no Angel to watchover, just incase she wants to influence the leader of the free world again, No Blaze to keep away from Gazzy and Iggy when I am suspicious about them. The absence the wounded me the most. No Fang to watch my back and be my righthand man. I love Fang, not as a brother, but as my partner, my other half. My true other half. I don't care what they programmed me with, I loved Fang and there was no force on earth or heaven that would change that. I choose who I love, they are not chosen for me. _

_I peered out the door slit again and stared in horror as Lissa, the red-haired-freaking-wonder!, flounced past and into the room opposite, she stopped in the middle, looking around in a confused but still slutty way. Her skirt was far too short and I refuse to call that strip of material a shirt. It barely covered anything. She screamed as she looked up and I snapped my eyes up too, straining against the small gap. I tall guy was hanging from his air vent, looking as though he was hanging, but my bird eyes could see that he was holding on subtly. Looks like he doesn't like Lissa either. As she fled the room, leaving the door wide open, still screaming, I saw the corners of his mouth twitch as if he was fighting off a smile. When she was out of sight, he let go and lightly landed on the floor. Instead of legging it out of there, he calmly went and lay back on his bed. He was tall, string looking with dark brown hair that was sort of swept back, but instead of looking messy, I liked it, it suited his face. His skin was pale and he looked as if he had never seen the sun. Then again, with these rooms, he probably hasn't. His wings were soft ivory and faded into dark brown on the primaries. I looked back at my wings, one of them strapped up to my back and sighed sadly. At least in here I wouldn't be tempted to fly while it was still damaged. I looked back and saw that he was facing me now, he could see me. His eyes looked on mine and I couldn't look away, even if I wanted to. They were bright, piercing green, they rooted me to the spot and he slowly started to smile as I kept staring at him. The smile completed it. It was Noah, I know I was supposed to be madly in love with him but I still thought of Fang. I didn't love this stranger, I had already given my heart to Fang, but this guy, Noah, was something all together different. I thought of all the times Fang and I had kissed, the time I actually kissed him myself and the stupor broke slightly. I loved Fang, this Noah was just physically attractive, he didn't know me inside out like Fang did, like I knew him. _

_I looked away just as gaurds came streaming down the hallway, but it was for nothing, they grabbed him and I prepared to fight as they started unlocking my door. They waited with him as a new batch came in, trying to box me in at a corner. I lunged into a roundhouse kick and bit down on my lip as I pulled my wing out. I feinted to one side and then whipped my fist around before they could see me and then instantly kicked out again, jumping and twirling at the same time. I took down four and the last two bore down on me. I hugged my wing in, using them for balance when I needed and winced when ever the joint went beyond where it had healed. My foot slipped on the floor and my knee gave out as I slammed down on the white polished marble, using my wing as a buffer and rolling under the bed. I waited until the boots came close to the bed, preparing to look under to see me and then launched myself at them, until full blown fighting mode, my eyes seeing targets, the neck, behind the knees, any where that I had an advantage. But then one of them sent a shattering blow to my back, catching my wing and my ribs, they hauled me up in the moment that I stopped to breath again. I stopped fighting, they were pressing against my wing and I knew that if I tried anything, they would grab it to wrestle me to the ground. Noah watched me the entire time, his eyes wide in shock and unmistakable awe. I was un-co operative as I could possibly be while protecting my wing, I could feel warmth in it and I knew it was healing fast. I must be near Blaze. I passed a room where mutants were being healed and as I past I heard a click and a sense of numb on my side. My rib clicked back into place. I felt my energy return and all my injuries faded. They healing powers the radiated from the room had given me my energy back and healed my injuries. I mapped out the place, not missing any doors or exits, noting the windows and sky lights. If I could get free, I would be able to get out easily. _

_We passed a huge gym ssized room, full of odd stuff, a pool, rocks, potted plants and stuff you could practice fighting moves on, it was a training centre. In the room, my flock was fighting through an obstacle course, using their powers and fighting skills. I tried wrench myself free but I realised that they would think it was a trick, that I was a clone to infiltrate. But they had already accepted the clone. I hung my head and kept walking, focusing solely on the image of Fang I just saw. He was almost invisible against a light grey back drop, he looked like he hadn't slept in weeks, his cheeks hollowed out and his eyes hopeless. He couldn't see me, the glass was one way. I sighed and let them keep dragging me along. I looked up and met Noahs eyes, he was watching me with concern and I twitched the side of my mouth up in a pathetic excuse of a smile. He seemed to understand and nodded his head slightly, confirming my suspicions. I darted my eyes up to the sky light above us and then back to him, making sure it was very deliberate to him, the gaurds were barely watching us. He looked up and then back at me, shaking his head as if to get hair out his eyes. His eyes slid sideways and I looked at a sign we were passing. "Warning: Skylights covered with electric netting, refrain from letting birds fly free". I nodded and we kept walking, ending up in a similar gym, except this one was empty. We were thrown in and the doors were locked, a screen flickering to life. _

_"Welcome to your training facilities. I would very much prefer it if you used this time wisely and tested your body, mind and powers, education and fitness is the top priority for our fighting force" The woman in the screen looked a lot like Lissa and spoke in the same 'you-will-do-what-I-say-when-I-say-it" look as every other whitecoat in this place. I grinned suddenly, I could try destroying a giant tv suspended from the roof... That would be good for my mental well being. I rocketed upwards and yelped in suprise when a fine wire net smashed me back into the ground. Frowning I picked myself back up and found myself nose to back with Noah, he stood protectively in front of... me?? as a couple of drones decided it was time to shake this party up a bit. I sunk into a battle stance and started breathing slowly and evenly, preparing myself for what ever they could throw at me. I was the invincible Maximum Ride. I wished Fang was behind me, and the rest of the flock, but I could handle myself. They weren't going to take my flock away from me, no matter how hard they tried. I faced the two drones with new courage and faced my fate with determantion. Determination that only strengthened when a dozen or so dark shapes rose up out of the murky water of the pool and glided noiselessly towards us..._


	15. Infiltration

Blaze POV

I was going insane. I must be. We had been taken to a gym to practice and keep in shape, as the screen put it, but I would put my life on it that I saw Max. My power of knowing where people are, seeing through the walls almost. I saw her through the one way wall at the end of the gym. I saw her and another birdkid. I would know Max's aura anywhere, it was pure gold. I couldn't tell anyone, we didn't talk about Max anymore, Fang just couldn't bear the mention of her name. I glanced his way quickly and looked back. He was moping at the colour change wall, fading into light grey, staring at the ground dejectedly. I could feel something here, I could feel someone. The pool was cold and the feeling was strong there. I wanted to find this person, I had to, it was like a physical need, like breathing or eating. I sighed and went over my meeting with the director again.

"You want to know why I brought you, Flare and Nudge up to see me?" She was a tall red head and she was different to the white coats. I could tell her interest wasn't experimenting on us, it was using us. I glared stonily at her. She leanbed forward and smile. But it didn't reach her eyes, they alone remained calculating, like a buyer at a market. Flare stood next to me like the brave little soldier he was and Nudge was for once silent. The director sighed and surveyed us once more before continuing. I decided then and there that I didn't like where she was going with her plans.

"As you are aware of, you three have mastered control over one or more element. We are building an elite force of warriors to fight for the cause. Warriors who can use, manipulate and control their enviroments or creatures around them. Or even create them themselves. You will be the main force we will use when we take on Eodiv Research Facilities. You will join a team of others, all similar to you with their powers." She smiled again, as if we had just won some great prize and were supposed to be jumping up and down on the spot, gleeful and happy. We just kept staring at her blankly, wondering what other evil twisted schemes were in the red heead of hers. Then it clicked. If we went with her, we pretended to be brainwashed little servants, we could infiltrate, we could find out about Max and everyone else, how to escape, even how to shut this place down. I also wanted to find a birdkid called Winter. Nudge told me that the presence around the pool belonged to two birdkids named Boreal and Winter. But the name Winter, made me shiver. I must find him. When she wasn't looking I caught both Flare's and Nudge's eyes, warning them to follow what I say.

"Of course, I would expect nothing less. When will we join? We need to destroy the target before they endanger our plans" I spoke in a cliped voice and let no emotion reach my eyes. I was pretending to be brainwashed. Nudge and Flare nodded mechanically beside me and the directors smile grew just a teensy bit genuine. Our acting was awesome, but sadness over took me as I thought of how incredible Max would have been. I hadn't known her for very long, but I loved Max too. She took me in as one of her own when I had been shuned my entire life. My own Dad didn't even want me. He was the one who did this to me. She understood, her Dad, Jeb, did it too. The director was completely fooled. We left her office with our gaurds, strolling along like we owned the place too. What could they possibly planning with other science branches? And what was this cause she was trying to protect? I was sure it was Max I had seen, and I weas going to find out why they bothered making a perfect copy just to make it look dead to trick us. If we tried to escape, her being 'dead' would mean we would leave without her, there would be no one to rescue her. We would leave and forget all about her being her, she would be lost to us. They pretty much rendered Fang useless and we were leaderless, we must stay together as a flock, we can't be divided or they will do this again, pick us off one by one untill we are all alone and helpless. Everyone else was anxiously waiting for us when we pushed some what gently back into our cell room. I knew we were being watched so I got Angel to tell everyone so they wouldn't know our plan. Fang was more himself than the empty shell that had beeen ghosting around since we came here, but he wasn't the brickwall he had always been, he was more human now, he showed his emotions. He was no longer second in comand and was no longer capable of being leader, something inside him had snapped.

Noah POV

She was amazing. When she fought off 20 of the robots on her own, while injured, I feared for her life, but reallly, if anyone had to be worried it should have been the robots. If they had been programmed with worry, which I highly doubt. They thought they didn't need to program worry in, too many human emotions might make them question their orders, and that was un-acceptable. Disobediance wasn't taken lightly and the punishments were harsh. But when she fought, the enitre time I wanted to jump in and shield her with my body and wings. They hurt her and she tried so hard not to show it, but I saw through her act. Like I always saw through the whitecoats lies. I wondered why I loved her when I first saw her, it was bizarre. I never liked people when I frist met them. It took months and months before I even trusted them with my name. Max was beautiful, brown eyes that had depth, that if you stared into you would get lost in their depths, you could see her soul, the kind of person she was. Her brown hair had natural streaks and her whole appearance just screamed 'I-will-kill-you-if-you-touch-me'. But she was cring and gentle, I could see that when she told me about the flock, Angel, the scary-at-times mind reader who was the baby of their family, of Iggy and Gasman always carrying and/or making bombs. She loved her family so much, she missed them and she was so strong for them, their fearless leader, that she didn't think about her own safety. If taking a broken leg meant they remained unharmed, being dragged off just so they weren't found, she would do it to protect them. She was a beautiful person and had a beautiful soul. She was perfect. I wanted her to know that I loved her, that nothing, no force on earth or heaven could make me leave her now. I was with her to the end.

"It's because you two were designed for eachother." My mind went blank in shock. The voice knew. I wanted to know everything and my wordless questions raced around my head. I was going to get a headache soon.

"Voice, what do you mean? We never met before today. We can't be made for eachother. I thought it didn't work like that!" I ended up shouting the last bit in my head, so naturally, I am now counted as insane. But then, I always knew that. I mean, I do hear a voice in my head for one.

"Sound just like Maximum.. You know how we program the robots with emotions?? Well, it's similar to that. We make it so that your similarities and differences fit perfectly, so you too are like two puzzle pieces, unique apart, but only made for another, perfect and whole when you two are together. It's was tricky but most of the E.F.E.C. has a mate amoung the flock, just the older ones, as the art was lost when Maxwell died. He was the one who programmed your wing colour, taking on qualities of the birds you represent, he was killed by a new breed of Eraser." Serves him right of you ask me. Why were like this.

"Oh, and Noah. The girl Nudge can deactivate your chip should you try to escape. I need to go talk to Maximum now, keep yourself out of trouble." I felt the voice leave. He spent most of his time inside Max's head. I sighed. What I wouldn't give to be in her head when I carry out my plan..


	16. All is Fair In Love and War

Chapter 16

Max POV

Fighting the shadow guys was easier than I thought, we worked together and took down the first row with ease, I couldn't see me and the Flock doing any better, which made me un-easy. Me and this guy Noah shouldn't just fit like this. Where was the months, years even of complete hating him or ignoring him? Like with Fang. But this Noah couldn't replace Fang, not even close, I thought about him everyday, wondering if he missed me as much I missed him...

"He won't love you when he meets Ivy.. You do know that right? Maximum, Noah was made for you, to be the only one for you, not Fang. They don't know why you and Fang fell for eachother, or the fact that it triggered the mate for life instinct in him , but he isn't for you. " I was angry at the voice, it had always said that me and Fang loved eachother, encouraged the relationship. I remembered my threat to the voice: If I ever find out who you are, I will hunt you down and leave you in a little ball of pain. I liked that threat now. No. It wasn't a threat. It was a promise. It was telling me that I didn't love Fang when I did, that Fang wouldn't love me when this Ivy showed up. Well, I had news for him. I was getting out of here, getting my Flock and the first thing I was going to say to Fang was- Actually,I will explain everything, then get Fang alone, kiss him and tell him I love him. Noah was just a programmed love, he didn't love me for me, he loved me because his instincts told him that he should. It was entirely different.

We were still training, the shadow guys were long gone and now I was flying top speed around and around the room. I found that if it was practice, I was allowed to fly, I took off and hurtled straight into superspeed, the crack that resounded behind me telling me I had broken the sound/speed barrier. I only needed to adjust my wings slightly when the room suddenly made itself look like a forest, holographic trees closely packed. I pulled my wings in slightly and sped through, twisting and turning, never hitting the trees and feeling my speed growing . I had never gone this fast and I still didn't feel tired, I smiled to myself in spite if myself. If I could fly this fast with another birdkid I could get us out of many sticky situations. As I flew my laps, a group of mutants were shoved in the room. I slowed immediately and landed, leaving my wings out to cool off, all 14 ft of them.

The group had the arrogant look about them, as if they were in on a huge secret and owned the place because of it. Noah smiled at some of them, a smile which turned into a cold hard glare when he looked at the last two. There was eight of them but only five were birdkids. The lead one, the one that Noah glared at was tall and muscular, like a kid on steroids, he had bony plates on his arms and over his shoulders and back, growing out of his skin like a gross disease. How's that for descriptive eh? His skin had funny marks, like scales were under the skin. His solid black eyes stared at me and Noah, his fingers turning into sharp curved claws. His brown hair cut brutally short, he was a huge mass of evil. On one side of him was a small girl, with a light, almost white, grey eye and a black eye. She had black hair with hectic white stripes. My first thoughts were part skunk but she would have NOTHING on Gazzy. She had dark grey wings, not really bigger than Angel's, she looked around Angel's age too.

Two of them were unmistakebly twins, they were the same height, one bulkier than the other, both had kind friendly faces. The one on the right had brown hair and ice blue eyes, the other was blonde with piercing blue, as blue as Angel's. Their wings were white, but in the sunlight they had a mother of pearl blue-green sheen. They smiled twin smiles. I keep a stony expression, taking in the rest of the group. Another girl was standing to the side with the twins, she had platinum blonde hair and white-blue eyes. Her wings were solid black at the top and faded to light grey and the underside was silver.

As I looked to the last three, I saw they were all doing the same, taking in my injuries, our stances, everything they could gain from this, though a majority of them knew Noah and were just watching anxiously, if a fight should break up, from the way they looked at armour-arms, they would be on our side. The last three, a girl and two boys, stared intently at my searching eyes. The girl had a green birthmark, for want of a better word, that started on the index finger on her left hand, curling up her wrist, it dissapeared under her shirt and then was up her neck, curled around her ear and splayed in a few small spirals on her left check. It looked like a vine curling up her body. Her brown hair was short and spikey, with a shocking blonde streak at the front. Her features were like those of the elves we used to watch on tv with Jeb, she was like an elf. Slim and flexible. Her eyes were vivid green and she had dimples and a cheeky gleam in her eyes. Her wings were covered in hectic splodges of multiple browns, going from cream to dark, almost black. A short kid with spiked hair, looking slightly as if he had previously been in a microwave. A lightening shaped scar started under his eyebrow and ended on his cheekbone. He is quite muscular for his age... and size! His electric yellow eyes were creepy to watch. The last one sort of hid behind the others, small and sinewy, Angel would out weigh him. His yellow cat eyes darted this way and that, always looking for escape probably. Hectic tousled brown and blonde streaky hair, he had faint cheetah spots and colours on his skin. As he felt my eyes he bared his teeth, sharp fangs exposed. His pointy little ears even moved back to flatten. I resisted the urge call "Here kitty kitty!", I could out fly him once I got off the ground, but he looked incredibly fast even when he was still.

They seemed satisfied with our lack of response and begun training themselves. It appeared that armour-arms skin was really tough. Like, gross elephant skin tough. He was, un-mistakabley, pure evil and enjoyed every minute of it. At that instant, I decided I hated him, hated him just as much as I hated Jeb and the whitecoats that did this to us, to him too.

"They are the scientists latest weapons Maximum. As are you." The voice took me by suprise. These were the situations I usually had to figure out for myself. Weapons? How could we be weapons? We had ridiculed, killed, made a fool of and escaped from in multiple simple ways from these idiots. If we were going to be weapons by choice, it would be to eliminate them, what was it? Oh yeah, they are slated for extermination. 'I vill now eat nine snickahs bhars without bahrfing' ran through my mind and the longing lashed at my heart again. My flock needed me, just like I needed them. But they were together except for me. I had to make a way so they could know I was still alive, that we all needed to escape. The walls here were made it such a way that Angel couldn't read my mind, so that option, the obvious, was out. I wasn't like Gazzy, thank god, but if I was I could make my prescence be known in true Gazzy style. Blaze! She could see us! Through walls, know where we are! All I need to do is wait for us to pass the other gym and I'm outta here!

"See, voice. I can make my own escape plans, wiithout your interference and without my flock." Well, semi without my flock. But I could get out of my room.. The hidden grate in the door that they pushed my food through.. I was skinny, if I didn't eat for a while, lose the weight I gained while eating my way through heaven, or as you might know it as, Mum's chocolate chip cookies, I would be able to squeeze through the grate. It was like a narrow cat flap, except you have to be strong enough to push it out.. I would get there. Simple. I smiled. I as going to get free and get my family out too. They will have the food-flap if the scientists are smart. They know that's it's too easy to scare humans, disable robots, confuse erasers and bionic people to have much one on one interaction. Well, if they tried feeding me birdseed again, it would be no problem resisting. Lego director, or UD made sure that I was put off plum pudding for life too. So that's all good. But something told me that it wouldn't be plum-pudding that I was served.

"Would you like to know your team members names or not?" I snorted, yeah, it's Fang, Iggy, Blaze, Nudge, Gasman, Angel and funny lizard boy. There was no way this was my team. I just wasn't that kinda gal.

"Armour-arms as you so kindly put it is called Damien. The blonde twin is called Boreal, the brunette one is Winter. You compared Raven to a skunk, Storm is the one next to the twins, the one with the black fade out wings and platinum hair. The one with a vine is called Ivy, strangely enough. Microwaved hair is Mark and cheetah skin is Thorn. They are part of the E.F.E.C." I was surprised that the voice actually thought I cared. To me, it was armour-arms, skunkly, silvo, wonder twins, pussy-cat, fuzzball and weed. I was not joining them and I was not going to be used.

"Maximum, we are using you to save the world, they are using you to destroy other science companies. It doesn't matter how you think of it, the keywords are still "being used". You can't pick and choose who uses you, for good or bad." I was being outwitted by the voice in my head. My Maxness went into overdrive.

"I am not being used. If I wanted my flock to be safe and this stupid saving the world crap to be over, it would be so. I do not get used and I do not have someone telling me what to do. If you want a puppet why don't you lodge yourself in someone elses brain" My mind went like I a had a vice grip over it and then suddenly it was quiet, empty. Like before the voice. I opened my eyes and everyone was looking at me as of I had just confessed that I was Iggy's secret lover. I could feel it. I had forced the voice out. I barely had time to grin before a brain attack, worse than I had ever felt, split my mind and vision. I felt the sharp pain in my knees as I crashed to the floor, yet I was still standing, I felt the soft, warm hands patting my face, holding my head, but I was alone in a white room, doorless and unfriendly. I heard the voices, Noah's and unfamiliar ones. I looked around, there was no one here. I could feel my body, being lifted, the shouting and then an evil amused laugh. Damien. But then, even after the brain attack, the voice obviously trying to get back in, my mind was still blissfully empty. Silence. I stretched my wings and sat down, trying to figure out where I was. Then the pain came back, sharp and acute in the forefront of my mind. I could feel my body properly again, instead of writhing or making noise, I made myself stay still. When the fire had burnt away from my mind, all I was left with was a throbbing headache. But before you can say "It could be worse, you have had worse", the voice came screaming back. Literally.

"MAXIMUM RIDE! DON'T YOU EVER DO THAT AGAIN. DO YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS THAT WAS? YOU COULD HAVE BEEN TRAPPED INSIDE MY MIND FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG! HOW DID YOU PUSH ME OUT OF YOUR MIND!?" Ooh, touchy much. I winced as my poor, grenade splattered brain was tendorised. I opened my eyes and found I was not in the gym anymore. Or even my room. The white ceiling glared back at me and the walls were a soft gold, I sat up quickly rolling back into the wall and into an instant fighting stance. But all I saw was Noah, fast asleep next to the bed I had occupied previously. I looked around and found the grate I wanted to sneak out. I pushed it and nothing gave way, so I pushed my feet against it, slowly using all my wieght, a tiny popping sound and it gave way, I flattened my wings against my back and put my head and shoulders through, I kept wiggling until it hit the biggest part off my wings, I kept pushing and then finally I managed to flop out onto the floor. The sound of a robot approaching sent me hurtling back through the gap, what had taken minutes before, now only took seconds. I was back in, the flap into place as the clunking came round the corner. The heavy footsteps passed and I sat down, my back to the wall. I had to escape. But not yet. I opened my eyes to find Noah in front of me, his nose an inch or two from mine. His green eyes wide and honest. I inhaled sharply, a warm tantalising scent filling my nose. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up off the floor, hugging me tightly. Before I could get a good angle to kick AND punch him until he let me go, he put two fingers under my chin and lifted my face to his, kissing me softly and sweetly, almost like the last moments of savouring one of Mum's chocolate chip cookies. Then my brain kicked up into overdrive. First thought fizzled and crackled out. Before I knew it I was shoving myself through his door flap and hurtling through mine. Like a child I rubbed my mouth with the sleeve of my shirt. Pacing again I re went through the map in my mind. The room for the the flock was three floors up and in the third corridoor to my left. I needed to then go past the gyms and there was a fire exit on door 23. Blaze could help with that..

I soft knock on my door, one that was out of place as he should have still been in his room. I let him figure out that even if he was allowed to roam free, I was under about two dozen locks. I heard him slide down and lean against the door. He sighed.

"Max? Come talk to me. Sit on the otherside of the door" He pleaded in a low voice, not telling me what to do, asking me and letting me choose. I hesistantly sat down and leaned against the door.

"How did you get out?" I didn't mean my voice to sound so petulant but he chuckled and explained anyway. I would never ever, let him near my face again. I can't believe he kissed me! Hormonal birdkids these days...

"They have a chip in near my heart, if I cross the boundry fence , on land or air, it will stop my heart instantly. So they thought there was no point in locking me in. The voice told me that Nudge could turn it off though, so I am just going to wander down there soon and find out." They could do that, end your life the moment you are out of range. I let my mouth fall open. I quickly looked at the left side of my chest and tried to find any trace of an operarion to 'chip' me.

My skin was smooth and clear, I breathed a sigh of relief. So what, he couldn't leave. But if he helped me find the others and wing it out of here, Nudge would disable it and he could go his own way. Yet, I still felt sympathetic. He couldn't go anywhere, not without losing his life. But sympathy wouldn't stop me from breaking his jaw if he kissed me again. I leant my head back against the door and stared up at the ceiling. It was then I noticed a tiny glint, one that was way out of place. I studied it harder, seeing things no human would be capable of, and saw that it was a tiny camera, implanted in the actual ceiling. I decided I would have to watch what I was saying from now on.

"Why'd you kiss me?" My question even took me by suprise. What happened to watching what I say????

"Why'd you kiss me back??" He shot back, I could hear the smile in his voice. I frowned at the wall and sighed. If that was the way he was going to be....

"All is fair in love and war Max, and trying to win you is going to involve both" He laughed, but it was strained, not out of humour, but more of desperation. I glared at the wall and tried to think of something to say. I didn't know.. It was a first for Maximum "charging-off" Ride. I missed my flock. But I didn't charge off!!

"You wanna move Noah? I wanna go train." I formulated plans in my mind, my escape out of the cat flaps was out, they now knew I could get out through there. But I had to talk to Noah. I needed help and it looked like I was stuck with him. Even if it meant I had to put up with his kissy faces. I was desperate. But Maximum Ride always has a plan.


	17. Take the flames

AN:

I apologise to those people who thought this was the real chapter 17, but I am not writing a single word for it until I have 10 more reviews.... No... Make that 5,c'mon, can we manage 5???? I am sitting here, Noah and Fang glaring sexily at me, comanding for me to continue so they can find out who Max chooses and you guys are making me resist them!! Where is the fairness in the world? Flame me, shred my story apart, yell at me.. I don't care.. as long as it contains an incy bit of commendation or constructive critism.. Please???

Fly on,

Rogue


	18. Welcome Back

Authors' Note:

I am sorry this is an authors' note and not a chapter but The Wicked Witch, commonly known as my psychotic Aunty has tried and failed to ban me from internet, after the telecom guys came and fixed our connection so we could have the internet back. Then what did I do? I breathed and SHABAM! Instant internet ban. But as I said, she can't enforce it as she is always at the bar so… Chapter 17 is almost complete and let me tell you, things are going to get very tense for the E.F.E.C. and flock, especially with the new pairings on the horizon. Pacts will be made and broken, but who will remain in the flock now it has a leader again?? Chapter 17 coming soon, review if you want me to release the name….

Fly On,

Rogue.


	19. Catastrophe!

Authors Note:

You all hate me, I know you must BUT, I have an excuse. My keyboard was and is broken. I am currently using an on-screen one that is driving me up the wall. Good news. I have 5 new chapters to type when my keyboard is fixed. Good news: Three new stories. One for Vampire Acadamy fans, one for angel lovers and one for people who like the idea of forbidden love and an impossible battle. Oh, I lied.. 4 new stories.. oops. One for plain vampire lovers. I also have A COMPETITION! I need names. Boy, girl, foreign, exotic, old, new, ancient, weird, nicknames ANYTHING! I have a vast amount of characters who neec names! Please help!

Love Gem

xXxoOoxXx


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